


All the lonely people

by linnybug83



Category: Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Shy Tom Hiddleston
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-08-04 00:51:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 25,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16336616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linnybug83/pseuds/linnybug83
Summary: Emma Tidwell is an American ex-Pat living in London and making her living as a high-class escort.Thomas Williams is a brilliant but shy tech wizard who needs to learn how to survive in the spotlight.Not much of a summary, sorry. I'd prefer to let the story speak for itself. I hope you all enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Admittedly, I'm still not sure how this service works. I wasn't sure just how to tag this other than to say it's a story featuring Tom Hiddleston as an original character. I accept any and all suggestions as to how to use this site more efficiently.  
> Thank you.

It was one of those days where she found it difficult to even look at her own reflection in the mirror. This kind of occupation wasn’t anything she had ever planned on – it was only supposed to be a temporary way to put herself through college. 

It’s been almost seven years, and, at age 27, Emma Tidwell had zero degrees to her name. She did, however, own a little black book full of names.

This most recent name scrawled into the sordid pages was actually a fairly well known one – a Member of Parliament, in fact. Not that she could ever divulge that information. However, the temptation was always there, especially on a day like today.  
After two weeks of being a companion to, let’s just call him Jack, Emma was feeling both elated at the prospect of this particular job coming to an end, and general disgust in herself for sleeping with a married man, yet again. 

Not all of the names in her book were married – or even straight for that matter – but the ones that were held a particular sense of disdain in her heart. They were usually powerful men, politicians, CEOs, even a couple of lower-level celebrities. That’s probably why it seemed so easy for these men to have affairs without so much as blinking an eye. They were used to getting what they wanted with almost no repercussions.

Emma finally lifted her eyes to her reflection in the vanity mirror. She was in her regular suite at the Wellesley, where her arrangements were usually kept deep under wraps. She was still in her silk robe, hair up in a bun and unwashed. She gazed for what seemed like an eternity into her tired eyes, which looked so much older than her years. Her concentration was broken by a creak in the bed just a few feet behind her.

Jack was still asleep, snoring loudly and taking up most of the bed. It was just as well, Emma usually never got much sleep while she was on the job. She imagined, briefly, what the man’s home life must be like. Was his wife completely clueless as to her husband’s infidelities? Or, perhaps, she’s more of the stereotypical political wives – fully aware, but completely indifferent. Hell, maybe she had a man on the side, as well.

Emma shook the thought out of her head as quickly as it had arrived. Those are dangerous thoughts to have when one is an escort. It was a play, an act, an illusion to help these men forget their humdrum lives. Harboring any curiosity about personal lives can only lead to trouble in this profession.

After a hot shower and a quick swig from the flask she kept in the bottom drawer of the vanity, Emma felt a little bit better. After all, Jack was returning back to his family today following a “trip to the country to visit a sick relative.” That was one of the lamest excuses Emma had ever heard from a John. His wife was probably completely aware of where he’d really been the whole time.

He wasn’t a bad looking man – a fairly typical, middle aged Englishman. He had those slight streaks of grey that touched this tops of his temples and disappeared under his still dark brown hair. He was slight in build, but still had a very masculine air about him. Well-dressed and sophisticated, he drove a Mercedes C300 and always smelled of Dunhill – both the cologne and the cigarettes.

She was still in her robe when she heard a knock at the door. She sucked in a sharp breath before turning to check if the knock woke up Jack. Thankfully, he was still sawing logs. Emma opened the door to a bellhop with a tray of tea and biscuits. 

“Could you put that on the coffee table, Noel?” She whispered. Noel nodded knowingly and performed the task without any further noise. Emma thanked him quietly and slipped him £20 for his troubles.

She dressed quickly and took a deep breath before gently rousing Jack awake.

“Jack? Jack, it’s time to get up,” she said barely above a whisper. Jack had a tendency to be rather grumpy when woken abruptly.

He opened one eye and met her gaze. “What time is it?”

“It’s 10 a.m.,” She replied, turning to the tray sitting on the coffee table with a tea kettle to pour him a cup. “You mentioned your family was expecting you home by noon, right?”

“God, don’t remind me,” he groaned into the pillow. “Fucking vultures. Only like Daddy around for money and status.”

Emma raised an eyebrow to this reaction. He had avoided speaking much about his family, but she could never have guessed he harbored this level of animosity towards them. She was at a loss for words, so she quickly tried to change the subject.  
“You like your tea with milk and two sugars, right?”  
We’ve been taking morning tea together for two weeks now, and you still have to ask me that?”

Asshole. “Yeah, sorry, just slipped my mind this morning, I guess.” She walked the cup and saucer over to him and fought the urge to dump it over his head, instead placing it on the night stand. 

She had a routine on these last mornings with Johns – no sex, no breakfast, no chit chat or big goodbyes. She made them a cup of tea or coffee, reminded them about whatever arrangement they had made with her partner, Frank, and went out to run errands while the men got their things together and left. 

“Well, it was lovely doing business with you,” Emma managed to say with a straight face. “Frank will be giving you a call later tonight to talk about…financial matters. Goodbye.”

She turned on her heel before Jack had a chance to say anything further and exited the room. Her sigh of relief was much louder than she had been anticipating, and she didn’t care if Jack heard. It would serve him right to know Emma had barely enjoyed a moment in his presence. She took out her phone and dialed Frank’s number. 

“Hello, hello! How’s my favorite lady of the night doing this morning?” Yeah, Frank could be a real douche bag when he wanted to be.

“First of all, I have asked you repeatedly not to call me that,” I spat back at him. “Secondly, the MP is about ready to crawl back to the wife and kids. He knows the deal.”

“Hey, you want to keep your voice down? Discretion is part of the job, you know?”

“There’s no one near me,” I replied, exasperated. “And, if he doesn’t want to get caught with an escort, he should never have hired one in the first place.”

“Oh shit, Emma’s in her dark place again,” Frank said with a chuckle. “Having those ‘I regret becoming an escort blues?’”

“You could say that. It’s nothing that a little retail therapy won’t improve upon.”

“Well, you have most definitely earned it. Plus, you’re going to get a bit of break. I don’t have any clients set up for you at the moment.”

“Fan-fucking-tastic!” She said with the most enthusiasm she’d mustered in two weeks. “I’ve been missing my babies so badly.”

“You know it’s kind of weird that you refer to a couple of useless fur balls as your babies, right?”

“Those fur balls are cats, they are not useless, and plenty of people refer to their pets as their babies.”

“Those people are called fucking weirdos,” Frank laughed. “But, by all means, die a crazy cat lady.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Emma tossed back casually. “And, feel free to take as much time as you want finding my next client.”

“I make no promises.” Emma hung up and tucked her phone into her back pocket. 

She made it a point to travel as lightly as possible. She rarely carried a purse unless one of her clients asked for the “girlfriend experience.” Those Johns were the most tiring. It required her to put on even more of an act than usual. Most of the time, she only had appear mildly interested in the client – enough to make it seem like the sex was somewhat enjoyable so as not to hurt his feelings.

The men who wanted the “Girlfriend Experience” were a different breed from those looking to escape their family lives. They were usually quiet and shy, and, as it turned out, into some freaky shit. Usually these were guys who’d never really been in a relationship for whatever reason – too shy or weird, or just too busy – and needed the appearance of female companionship on a public scale. They needed Emma to attend fancy dinner parties or high profile functions and smile pretty while the world got to see them with an actual human female.  
And, yes, many of them were secretly gay. But, Emma wasn’t about to name names. In fact, the gay ones were often times the most fun. They didn’t expect sex, and they would secretly whisper hilariously bitchy comments into her ear at dinner parties about all the other attendees.

There was already a car waiting for Emma when she walked out the front doors of the hotel. Arthur was a very sweet old man in his mid-70s, and he’d been Frank’s driver for over twenty years.

“’Ello, Emma love,” he greeted with his distinct cockney accent. “Where to on this lovely mornin’?”

Emma leaned into give him a kiss on the cheek, “Good morning, Arthur. How about we see what’s happening on Bond Street today?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Arthur replied as he held the car door open for Emma.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is Tom's introduction

“Mr. Williams, both Forbes and the Financial Times are calling you one of the most influential Londoners under the age of 30. What do you have to say to that?”

Thomas Williams shifted awkwardly in his seat and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose as he thought of a reply to the reporter’s question. It wasn’t bad enough that he’s not overtly fond of these incessant interviews with their inane questions, but this particular reporter was distractingly attractive. Of course, her attractiveness was of that all too typical blonde and bland variety. That was probably the point, though. 

“Um, Mr. Williams?” She repeated, nervously.

It was then that he realized he’d been quiet for almost 30 seconds. Tom cleared his throat and sat up straight. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry, I got lost in thought.”

“That’s quite all right,” she giggled, tossing her hair over her shoulder effortlessly.

“Um, I’m not sure about my influence at this point,” he replied, looking down at his hands. “I suppose my status as an influential Londoner will be determined by how well the Form Project performs.”

“Can you tell us anything further about the project? You’ve been very secretive about it.” The bland blonde flipped her hair in the opposite direction while flashing him what most would consider a flirtatious smile. It was lost on Tom.

“Unfortunately, I can’t say much more about it, other than we’re approaching the final stages of rolling it out. I’ll make an official presentation in September at the Tech.London conference.”

“We’ll all be waiting with baited breath, I’m sure.” Tom couldn’t tell if that was a sincere statement or not, but stood up and awkwardly shook the woman’s hand and walked out of the office. He got to the front desk and glanced briefly at the sign that said Asgard Industries before he realized he’d walked out of his own office and left the reporter behind to stare at him in disbelief and show herself out.

He quickly made a beeline to the men’s room and waited for two minutes to be sure the woman had left. Once he made sure the coast was clear, Tom took the elevator up to his lab on the top floor. His prototype was almost perfect. The Form Project would be groundbreaking in 3D printing technology. Not only would it help healthcare industries with providing amputee patients with new limbs, it would eventually make 3D printing more affordable to the average consumer.

Tom hadn’t even noticed he’d been working for the next nine hours straight until the elevator doors opened to reveal his business partner, Ken Smith. 

“Burning the midnight oil again, eh Williams?” Ken had a decanter of scotch in one hand and two glasses in the other. Tom eyed the objects wearily.

“You know I’m not much of a drinker, right Ken?”

“You really need to make an exception this time,” Ken said. “We’re about to embark on the biggest event of our lives. We’ve both earned the right to a drink or two.”

“Fine,” Tom sighed as he stepped away from his computer and rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses. They were the kind of glasses that some hipsters might wear ironically. But, for Tom, they were just the same kind of glasses he’d worn since he was a child. He’d never felt the need to make a change, no matter how much others insisted.

Ken handed Tom a glass of scotch, neat. “You know, you really are getting better at the whole interview thing. You actually made physical contact with this reporter.”

Tom glared at Ken as he took a sip of the harsh liquid. The glare was immediately followed by a wince. “Yeah, I’m just about as comfortable with interviews as I am with drinking this poison.”

“It’ll happen, don’t you worry.” Ken’s demeanor suddenly turned dodgy as he cleared his throat and glanced towards the floor. “In fact, I have this idea that might just help you get more confidence…”

“No.” Tom said, cutting off the end of Ken’s sentence. “I’m sure whatever you have planned is going to end up badly, and I’m going to end up embarrassed and wishing I’d never listened to you.”

“You won’t even hear me out?”

“Good night, Ken,” Tom said as he downed the rest of his scotch with another wince and slapped the glass on the table before making his way to the elevator. 

Tom caught a cab outside of the building and let out a sigh of relief as he sank into the cab’s leather seat. There were times where he regretted following his great ambition to become a successful engineer and inventor. That ambition came at the price of his privacy and his sanity. 

He was always a nerd. The type of guy who would be in his room working on leveraging experiments while other boys were playing football and snogging girls. Tom didn’t get his first kiss until college. And, even at that, the girl did it on a drunken dare.

The lights in his flat flickered to life as he hung his key on the hook above the light switch. Tom’s feet were immediately attacked by a tiny, white blur of claws and fur.

“Easy, killer. These shoes weren’t cheap.” Tom laughed at what had just tumbled out of his own mouth. He was becoming more materialistic by the year. He blamed Ken.

Of course, the cat couldn’t hear a word Tom said, he was deaf. And, that flaw was part of the reason Tom had adopted Gatsby in the first place. Tom couldn’t see well, and Gatsby couldn’t hear. It seemed like a very symbiotic relationship. 

Plus, adopting the cat went a long way to get both Ken and Tom’s mother off of his back. At least he was making a connection with another living being. 

Tom poured a bowl of cat food for Gatsby before checking out the contents of his fridge. Leftover Chinese food and some sliced turkey. He decided to fix a sandwich and sat on his sofa to watch some mindless television. He soon dozed off while Gatsby nibbled at the neglected sandwich.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit about Emma's back story. Bare in mind, I originally wrote this a few years back, so I'm not even sure if The Big Bang Theory is even on anymore, as I don't watch much TV these days.

Emma collapsed on her couch with her arms full of shopping bags. It was such a clichéd, rom-com-esque scene, but it made Emma feel a little better about her crappy day to act a little silly. Her oldest cat, Bella, sauntered over for some affection.

“Hello, Momma Kitty,” Emma purred as she scratched the top of Bella’s head. Soon thereafter, all three cats had come out of their hiding places. Beast jumped into Emma’s lap and meowed loud and incessantly into her face. “I take it you missed me, huh Beast?”

"MEOW!!” Beast replied as she rubbed her head against Emma’s shoulder.

Melody, the baby of the family, was mostly interested in dinner. She meowed from the doorway to the kitchen, demanding food. 

“Okay, you little shit. God, you’d think I was starving you.”

Once the cats were fed, Emma popped a frozen dinner into the microwave to heat. She hated to eat such crap, but she was also too tired to cook. Plus, her favorite show was about to start. Her food was finished cooking just in time to settle in and catch up on the shenanigans of Sheldon and the gang on the Big Bang Theory.

Emma had always identified a bit with Penny on the show. Underestimated pretty girl who’s smarter than she looks and whose dreams didn’t turn out the way she had hoped. Penny just wanted to be a famous actress, and Emma just wanted a way out of Toledo, Ohio.

Being the good student she was, Emma managed to nab a scholarship to Oxford University. It broke her mother’s heart a bit to move so far away, but Cathy Tidwell also couldn’t help but understand where her daughter was coming from. Cathy would have loved to travel the world when she was young, too.

However, Emma would later find out that her scholarship was very minimal. It only paid for classes that were in Emma’s field, Mechanical Engineering, and it only paid for boarding, and no other expenses. 

So, unless she wanted to live a life of monk-like simplicity, Emma had to work many different jobs over the years to help supplement her income. She’d been a waitress, a shop girl, even a tutor. But, the one job that paid the most was being an escort. And, at first, it was a simple task.

In her first few months, Emma was just paid to keep clients company in the most literal sense. There was no sex involved, and that was how Emma had intended to keep it. Then, she began to notice the escorts who did more for their clients were paid more and given preferential treatment by Frank. They gave the clients everything these men wanted, and he gave them bonuses and let them pick out the less creepy Johns.

The first time Emma slept with one of the clients was both the most awkward, but still quite enjoyable, experiences of her life. The man was with his first escort, and was feeling somewhat guilty for resorting to this method for sex. To his credit, he was very kind to Emma as he fumbled his way through the awkward intercourse. He made sure she was enjoying the experience and said sweet things to her throughout the night.

Emma was almost 100 per cent certain that had been that man’s first time with any woman, escort or not. 

She fell asleep curled up with Beast on the couch as it began to rain steadily against the skylight of her flat.


	4. Chapter 4

When Tom arrived at work the next day, there was a tall man in a cheesy suit wandering around his office. He had ridiculously coiffed hair and sunglasses on, though it was a very gloomy day outside.

Tom whispered to Gloria, the receptionist, “Who the hell is that in my office?”

“Someone Mr. Smith invited, sir,” Gloria said with a shrug. “Ken said he’s some kind of PR guy.”

“Great, more with Ken banging on about my image,” Tom moaned as he straightened his tie and strode to his office, trying to look confident. He was tired of Ken’s constant criticisms of the way Tom “presented himself.” As long as Tom was a brilliant engineer, what else should matter?

The man turned to Tom with a sleazy grin as Tom opened the door.

“Tom Williams, I presume?” The man asked.

“Yes, and you are?”

“Francis Peters, but friends just call me Frank.”

"Well, Francis Peters, what are you doing in my office?” Tom crossed his arms over his chest and attempted to look as intimidating as possible. Though, he was convinced he probably just looked foolish.

Frank was genuinely taken aback. “Um, your business partner invited me here, mate. I thought you knew I was coming.”

“Nope,” Tom stated simply. “Terribly sorry to have troubled you, but I really do have many things to do today, so, if you don’t mind…”

Tom trailed off as held the door open for Frank to leave. Frank heaved a confused sigh and began to walk out when Ken made his appearance. “Tom! I see you’ve met my friend, Frank.”

“Ken, can we speak in private for a moment?” Tom removed his glasses to rub his eyes in frustration as Ken entered the office and shut the door behind him, leaving Frank to wander around the cubicles.

“We talked about this last night, Ken. I’m not interested in any scheme you have to improve my image or boost my confidence. I’m not going to change myself to be successful. I’m letting my work speak for itself.”

Ken sat on one of the chairs in front of Tom’s desk with a heavy sigh. “You really don’t fucking get it, do you? This isn’t just about you now, you bloody asshole.”

Tom shot Ken a shocked expression while Ken stood up and paced the room. 

“You’re so unaware of the situation, you have no idea how selfish you’re being,” Ken began. Tom attempted to speak, but Ken held up his hand, “No. You need to hear this. You are a very brilliant man, Tom. You created this company from almost nothing and you now employ over 50 loyal employees who believe in you and your vision. Have you ever considered what failure means to all those people?”

Tom shook his head slowly, feeling like the world’s biggest wanker.

“You’re so resistant to change that you don’t realize the benefits it could have to this company and all those people who work for you. I’m not trying to make you into a different person, I’m just trying to help you – and, subsequently, this company – put your best foot forward.”

All Tom could do was stare off into the distance for a moment. Was he really being so stubborn that he could damage his own company? He glanced out to the people beginning to come into work for the day. People he knew and respected. They had just as much invested in this company as he did.

“If I agree to this,” Tom said, hesitantly, “You’ll let me have input, right? You won’t just put me in a monkey suit, make me get Lasik and give me some ridiculous model girlfriend who is clearly out of my league, will you?”

“I promise, Tom,” Ken said. “We’re just trying to help you help yourself.”

“And this Frank guy? What role does he play?”

“I should probably let him explain. He’s better at it than I am.”

Ken opened the door and the two business partners found Frank leaning over the desk of one of the female engineers. “You know, sweetheart, I know a way you can make way more money than this.”

“Um, Frank? We’re ready for you, mate.” Ken looked up sheepishly at Tom as Frank strutted into the office and lowered himself smoothly into one of the plush chairs. Tom took his seat behind his desk as Ken sat somewhat nervously on a couch in the corner.

“Mr. Peters,” Tom said skeptically. “My friend and partner tells me you have certain services to offer me? What might those be?”

Frank finally removed his sunglasses and smiled that sleazy smile again. “Mr. Williams. What I do is very specific, and very discrete.”

“Is it illegal?” Tom asked with a hint of panic in his voice.

“No, no, no…well, it doesn’t have to be, at least…”

“Get out!” Tom yelled as he jumped from his chair and pointed to the door.

“Please, Tom. Hear him out!”

“Yeah, come on, mate. All I’m offering is an easy way to boost your confidence as a man,” Frank said as he approached Tom around his desk.

Tom backed himself into the corner of his office, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“It’s my understanding that you have a tendency to be uncomfortable around people,” Frank said. “Most specifically, people of the female persuasion?”

“Oh god, this is illegal,” Tom said, holding his hands up to keep Ken and Frank at arm’s length. “You’re a pimp, aren’t you? And, you think if you hook me up with a prostitute that will make me more confident?”

“I’m not a pimp,” Frank replied angrily. “I manage escorts. That’s very different.”

“How is that any different?” Tom asked.

"These girls are not necessarily paid for sex. Many of them are simply asked to be companions.”

“What kind of companions?” Tom’s guard began to drop slightly.

“Kind of like a girlfriend, but with no strings attached,” Frank said.

Tom’s arms dropped to his sides and he glared at Ken furiously. “Didn’t we just talk about not trying to set me up with some absurd fake girlfriend?”

“That’s just it, Tom. This is not a fake girlfriend. She’s just someone who can help you be more comfortable around others because, let’s face it, you can come across as a bit autistic.”  
“Hey, I’m not autistic!”

“I know, mate. But, will you at least meet with the girl?”

“What?! There’s already a girl set up?” Tom asked frantically.

“Not officially,” Frank said. “But, I’ve got the perfect girl in mind.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I mentioned in a previous chapter that I don't watch much TV, but I do catch Netflix from time to time, and I decided to give a shout out to my other celebrity crush, apart from Tom, Jason Momoa, and his show on Netflix, Frontier.

It had been three glorious days without a call from Frank about a job, and Emma was indulging in some Netflix bingeing. She discovered a show called Frontier and got hooked quickly. She was in the middle of the second season when her phone finally, painfully decided to start ringing.

“I knew it was too good to be true,” she muttered as she glanced at Frank’s name and number blaring back at her to the tune of the Imperial March from Star Wars.

“What, Frank? Thought I was getting time off,” she said.

“What? Three days wasn’t enough?” He replied with no hint of sarcasm or irony.

Emma rolled her eyes and sighed. “What’s the job?”

“Super easy. Just like the old days,” Frank said smoothly.

“Just a sexless companion, huh?” Emma asked.

“Pretty much,” Frank said. “Guy’s just a bit shy and not terribly social. He just needs to get comfortable even being around women.”

"He sounds a bit weird,” Emma said wearily. “Are you sure he’s not some secret psycho.”

“He’s ok. He’s just…nerdy. He’s the head of an upcoming tech company. He’s spent too much time in the lab, and not enough time around the human race. So, are you in?”

“Sure,” Emma said in a slightly defeated tone. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re having dinner tomorrow at the Five Fields. Seven o’clock, sharp. Look smashing, as always.”

“Is it just me and him?”

“Um, no,” Frank said. “It’ll be you, me, him and his business partner.”

“Is this another gay guy trying to come across as straight?” Emma asked.

“No, though that would probably be much easier on you,” Frank said.

“Fine,” she chuckled. “Tomorrow at seven, it is.”

Emma had a bit of trouble sleeping that night. She finally drifted off around three in the morning, and slept a bit later than she had wanted to. She rolled out of bed a little after 11 a.m. and immediately got on her treadmill with her earphones firmly in place. Running cleared her head. The TV was on as a distraction, but she found herself preoccupied by other thoughts.

Maybe this could be it, she thought. Maybe this could be my last client. Frank’s always said I’m free to quit at any time. I’ve saved so much money, I could finance my last three semesters of school easily.

Thinking back, Emma tried to remember why she had stayed in this job so long. Was it really just the money? Sure, with very little effort, Emma could make £5,000 a week. And, that wasn’t including the clients who paid more to be able to do some very kinky activities.

Did a part of her enjoy the job in some strange, unexplainable way? Well, she was never very good at relationships; never the kind of girl who dreamed of settling down and having a family. Though, to be fair, she had never been in love.

Maybe she had just never met the right guy.

It was 6:30 p.m. before Emma had even realized it, and she was trying to catch a cab outside of her flat without much success. Suddenly, a familiar car rolled up to the curb next to her.

“’Ello, Emma love,” Arthur said. “Francis thought you might be in need of transportation tonight.”

Emma smiled, “Thank you, Arthur. You’re a regular knight in shining armor.”

Emma checked her reflection in the window of the backseat before opening the door. Short, black dress? Check. Perfectly tousled, dark auburn hair? Check. Lips glossed, eyes lined and perfume strategically placed? Check.

She was ready for anything. Or, so she thought.


	6. Chapter 6

Tom and Ken got to the restaurant a bit early. Tom couldn’t help it, he was a nervous wreck about this whole situation. He thought about calling it off several times over the past two days, but every time he reminded himself it was for the greater good.

He even let Ken dress him. It was actually a very nice suit – simple, clean lines – basic black with a crisp white shirt. Tom actually felt very smart in this suit. He even felt, dare he say, confident in this suit. He felt he was ready for anything. Or, so he thought.

After twenty minutes of waiting, Ken noticed Frank wandering into the restaurant. Frank noticed the two and nodded his head at them. He sauntered over with a barely visible young woman in tow. Tom strained his eyes to see her in the darkness, but it was of no use – too dark and too many people milling about.

“Good evening, gents,” Frank said jovially. His tone almost made Emma want to roll her eyes. “May I introduce to you my friend…”

Frank turned to her wide-eyed, and Emma realized they hadn’t discussed an alias. Frank demanded his escorts never use their real names and identities with clients. Emma thought quickly and whispered a name into his ear.

“This is Lisa,” Frank said. 

Once Frank was out of his view, Tom finally got a good look at this Lisa. She was stunning – not very tall, but well proportioned. She had long, dark auburn hair and large brown eyes. And – Tom couldn’t help but notice – she was a bit better endowed than most women he’d met in his life. 

She smiled at Tom, and his heart honestly skipped a beat for a moment. It was a very strange reaction for him.

For Emma’s part, she too had a difficult time seeing this Tom in the dim restaurant light. Once she was right next to the table, she was able to make out the two figures seated there. One was a clean-cut, atypical business man with a slick haircut and shady air about him. 

That couldn’t have been this Tom guy. No trace of nerd on him.

Then she turned her eyes to the man in the glasses. He had light, gingery hair and a bit of facial scruff. He was tall and a bit on the skinny side, but he was nonetheless cute, at least to Emma’s eyes. She couldn’t help but smile at him. He seemed wholly adorable.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Lisa,” Ken said. “I’m Ken Smith, and this is my business partner, Thomas Williams.”

Tom nodded shyly and gave Emma a small wave. “Hello, Lisa, it’s nice to meet you.”

Emma smiled again. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Tom.”

Tom’s eyes dropped to the table and he took a sip from his water glass to try and break some of the awkward tension.

“Well now,” Ken said. “What’ll you two have to drink?”

Frank helped Emma into her seat next to Tom in the booth. “We’ll both have Johnny Walker Red, on the rocks.”

“Excellent choice,” Ken commented, motioning to the waiter. “How about we make that four Johnny Walker Red’s on the rocks?”

“Very good, sir,” the waiter replied.

Tom was about to protest, but remembered he was trying to break out of his comfort zone. He turned to “Lisa” and finally made real eye contact with her. Her gaze was confident yet approachable. He felt strangely comfortable around her.  
“So, Lisa, can I ask where you’re from?”

“New York City. Brooklyn, to be exact,” Emma replied. She was digging out an old alias from her early days. 

“Oh, wow. I didn’t realize you were American,” Tom replied. That’s probably why she seems different from most girls I’ve met, he thought. “How did you end up in London?”

“Well, I’ve always been fascinated with England,” Emma said. “I decided when I was young, I’d move out here as soon as I could and try to live here for a little while. Turned out a little while lasted longer than I thought it would.”

“Do you miss Brooklyn?” Tom asked, his eyes so wide and earnest.

“Sometimes,” Emma said wistfully. “But, I love living here. I don’t regret my decision.”

Frank shot Emma a confused look. She was being friendlier than usual to a client. She was typically a straight up professional – cordial and distant.

The rest of the night was relatively uneventful. Dinner was pleasant and the conversation was casual. Emma and Tom seemed to get along just fine. So, Frank put Emma in the car with Arthur so he could make arrangements with Ken and Tom.

“Well, gentlemen. What do we think? Are you in need of Lisa’s services?”

Ken began to speak, but Tom beat him to the punch. “We’ll give it a week. If I’m not feeling comfortable or more confident, then we’ll call it off. Is that a deal?”

“Of course, mate,” Frank said. “I’m here to please you.”

Frank turned to join “Lisa” in the car, while Tom felt a goofy grin spread across his face.

“What’s this, then,” Ken teased. “Are you actually looking forward to spending time with this girl?”

“Maybe,” Tom replied. “I suddenly feel very open to new experiences.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's a nice, long chapter. Gotta stop posting for a bit and get ready for work :-P

“So, what do we do from here?” Emma asked once Arthur had pulled away from the curb.

“Well, Tom said he is willing to try this out for one week to make sure he’s comfortable with it,” Frank said. “And, I’m thinking we’ll need to have you two spend some time alone together.”

“Obviously,” Emma replied.

“Obviously,” Frank said, rolling his eyes. “So, I think you two need to spend this whole weekend together. Keep him away from work for a little bit, and try to find out what he likes, you’re good at that.”

“OK, give him a little bit of the ‘Girlfriend Experience’?” Emma asked.

“Something like that,” Frank said. “Maybe make it the virginal girlfriend experience.”

“I could do that.”

 

Frank made all the arrangements, and Arthur picked Emma up at 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

“Are you ready for your next adventure, Emma love?”

“Yeah, Arthur,” Emma replied. “I think it will actually be kind of fun.”

Tom’s flat actually wasn’t far from Emma’s, she lived in Fulham, and he lived in Kensington. His place was far fancier, though.

“Wow, definitely not in Kansas anymore.”

Tom paced his living room while Gatsby watched from the couch in bewilderment. “Did I really make the right decision, Gats?” 

Gatsby tilted his head at Tom, as if to remind him the cat couldn’t hear. Then, there was a knock at the door.

“I guess we’re going to find out.”

Tom opened the door to those beautiful brown eyes he had just witnessed days before. She was dressed simply in jeans and a tee shirt. Her lovely hair was pulled back into a pony tail, and she didn’t seem to be wearing any makeup. She was still as stunning as the first time he set eyes on her.

“Hello, Lisa,” He said shyly. “Thank you for coming.”

Emma smiled to hide the cringe that wanted to crawl across her face upon hearing that horrid fake name. 

“Thank you for having me,” she said. “I hope I brought enough, I tend to pack light. You weren’t planning on us doing anything crazy like going rock climbing or taking a surprise trip to Paris, were you?”

“Honestly, I’m still not sure what we’re going to do,” Tom said. “I’m usually working on the weekends. Or, visiting my mum.”

“You and your mom are close, huh?”

“Yes, very close. Have been ever since my dad left.”

Emma had to stifle a whimper. She knew all too well what it was like to have one’s dad walk out on the family. “I’m very sorry. So, how about we just sit and talk or watch TV for a while?”

“Do you like The Big Bang Theory?” Tom asked. “It’s a bit of a silly show, but I like it. It’s rare to see nerds like me on TV.”

“That’s actually my current favorite TV show,” Emma said.

“Well then,” Tom said shyly. “How about we watch?”

Emma set her bags down by the door and kicked her shoes off before jumping onto the big, plush couch in the living room. It was probably the nicest couch she’d ever sat on. “Wow, Tom. This is an amazing couch. I’d better watch out, or I might just fall asleep right here.”

Tom went to the kitchen to avoid the sight of Emma writhing on his couch, as it made his pants feel a little bit tight. “What would you like to drink? I’ve got pretty much anything.”

“You don’t happen to have Jack Daniels?” Emma asked. 

“This early in the morning?” Tom asked. 

Emma tried to ignore the judgement in his voice. “Um, yeah. It just helps to loosen me up a bit. It’s cool if you don’t have anything.”

“Well, I don’t drink much,” Tom said, regretting his initial reaction. “But, I have a bottle of Johnny Walker that Ken gave to me for my birthday last year. How about we share that?”

Emma looked up from the couch and gave Tom that beautiful smile. “That sounds great.”

Tom poured two glasses of scotch and grabbed a bag of crisps before going back to the living room. Emma was still enjoying the feel of the couch, and Tom couldn’t help but get caught up in the sight of her running her hands along the soft cushions. 

“Wow, you really do like this couch, don’t you?” He asked.

Emma gave him a sexy giggle. “Yes. It’s softer than my bed.”

She sat up and accepted the glass of scotch as he set the bag of crisps down on the coffee table, “In case we get hungry.”

He sat about a foot away from her. She sipped her scotch slowly and laughed unabashedly at the show. Her eyes were even brighter when she laughed. She seemed to be completely herself, completely at ease with the situation and with Tom himself. That put Tom at ease tremendously.

“Can I ask you how old you are, or is that a rude question?” Tom asked.

“I’m 27,” Emma said. Giving her real age wasn’t too much personal information, she decided.

“I am, too,” Tom said. “It’s amazing that I’ve never seen you before.”

“Well, this is a huge city, Tom,” Emma said. “I mean, unless you’ve spent a lot of time hanging around pubs near Oxford…” Okay Emma, that may have been too much information.

Tom’s eyes lit up. “I went to Oxford. Why were you hanging around there so much?”

“Friends. I had friends that went to Oxford, and I hung out with them quite a bit,” Emma said, mentally patting herself on the back for her stealthy recovery.

“Yeah, I didn’t spend too much time in pubs back in school,” Tom said. “Tom the nerd was usually in the library or the mechanics laboratory.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Emma said. “You’re obviously benefiting from that time spent in the library.”

“True,” Tom said. “If I had a chance to go back, I’d do everything the same.”

Emma smiled. “I like that. It’s good not to have regrets.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for the first time since the night they met. Emma noticed how beautiful his eyes truly were. They were the most brilliant shade of blue she had ever seen. And he smelled wonderful. Not like cologne, just fresh and clean.

Careful, Emma, she thought. Don’t get caught up.

Tom was lost in those brown eyes once more. They were deep and beautiful. And, he could tell there was so much behind them that she would rarely let show. He yearned to know all of her secrets, almost as much as he yearned to know what it felt like to kiss her lips.

His hand slowly made its way from his lap to the right side of her face. Emma closed her eyes and nuzzled his hand. She placed her small, delicate hand on his and turned to kiss his palm. Tom gasped slightly and pulled his hand away. 

“I’m sorry,” Emma whispered. “Was that too much?”

“No…maybe…I’m not sure,” Tom said. “I don’t know how much you were told about me, but I’m usually very uncomfortable around other people, especially women.”

“Yes, I’ve been told,” Emma said gently. “But, it’s good to know where you boundaries are early on. It makes it easier for me to know what you like and what you don’t like.”

Tom had another strange feeling wash over him as she said this. He remembered why she was truly there, and what she did for a living. 

“So, can I ask you something that might offend you?” Tom asked.

“Sure,” she replied hesitantly.

“Have you slept with a lot of men in your life?” 

“What is a lot?” Emma asked.

“Um…I don’t know…More than 20?”

“No,” Emma said. “Most men honestly just want companionship. There have only been a handful of clients in my life that were looking for anything sexual.”

Tom swirled the scotch that he’d barely touched around in his glass. “I’m not a virgin. But, I’m not terribly experienced – just two girls.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that, Tom,” Emma said gently. “Even if you were a virgin, there’s nothing wrong with that, either.”

Tom nodded reluctantly. “I just wanted you to know what you’re dealing with.”

Emma turned back to the TV. “Come on; let’s escape into some silly TV show.”

Tom chuckled and slouched into the couch further, leaning his body towards Emma. They were both lying against the same pillow and, eventually, fell asleep next to each other. Tom woke up first and realized it was already 8 p.m.

He looked to Emma, who was sleeping like an angel next to him. It pained him to wake her up.

“Lisa, love. Wake up,” He whispered as he gently shook her shoulder. “We’ve slept the day away. It’s time for dinner.”

“Huh?” Was all Emma managed to get out.

“It’s 8 o’clock, love. Are you ready for dinner? You haven’t eaten anything, you must be famished.”

“Yeah, I could eat,” Emma replied, sleepily.

Tom suppressed a chuckle at Emma’s sleepy state. It was nice to see her with her guard down. “What would you like to eat, love?”

“Whatever you’d like, Tom,” she said, finally becoming more aware. “I’m not picky.”

“OK, even if I’d like a lamb kabob and some chicken tikka marsala?”

“Sounds delicious,” Emma said. 

Tom pulled out his phone to order the take away while Emma attempted to wake herself up. It hadn’t completely escaped her notice that Tom referred to her as “love.” She was probably going to have to have a talk with him about the boundaries in their relationship.

“It will be here in 30 minutes? Sounds lovely. Thank you,” Tom said, wrapping up their dinner order. 

Emma stretched her back out – she’d been sleeping at an odd angle – and got up to join Tom at the kitchen table. He smiled sweetly at her, and she contemplated what she had planned to tell him about the rules of their arrangement.

“Tom,” she began, hesitantly. “Did Ken or Frank explain to you just what the rules are when dealing with an escort?”

Tom’s gaze dropped to his hands, which were absentmindedly toying with his phone on the table. He had a vague idea about the arrangement – she was to be a companion for as long as he needed her services. No strings attached.

“Not in great detail,” Tom said. “But, as far as I’m concerned, our arrangement is still tentative, isn’t it? We’ve not really established any sort of binding agreement.”

“Yes, we’re having something of a trial run,” Emma said, chuckling at the absurdity of the concept. “But, there are still certain rules that apply.”

“Such as?” 

“Well,” Emma began, biting her bottom lip gently, “This is strictly a professional relationship. I mean, there is nothing wrong with you and I enjoying each other’s company – hell, we might even like each other a bit – but, we can’t have feelings for each other.”

Tom sat back and crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive pose. “What makes you think I’m going to have feelings for you?”

“I’m not saying you will,” Emma replied, trying to placate him. “I’m just saying there are boundaries for both of us. Crossing those lines means we must immediately terminate our arrangement.”

“Even if it’s a mutual attraction?” Tom asked.

“Especially if it’s a mutual attraction,” Emma said. “I’m an escort, and you’re my client. That’s the extent of our relationship…or, lack thereof.”

There was a brief flash of disappointment in Tom’s eyes, but he recovered quickly and shrugged his shoulders casually. “That’s probably for the best. I’m pretty shit at relationships.”

Emma laughed and shook her head. “Yeah, me too.”

The two of them enjoyed a nice meal, talking about mutual interests in music and movies and other frivolous things. Occasionally, Tom would try to steer the conversation in more personal direction. Emma would immediately change the subject. Especially whenever Gatsby would make an appearance.

“I still can’t get over how adorable this cat is,” she said. “He reminds me of my cat, Bella.”

Tom’s ears perked up when she mentioned her cat. Was she finally divulging personal information? 

“You have a cat?” He asked, trying to contain any excitement.

“Three, actually,” Emma said. She decided cats were a safe enough subject. Who doesn’t love cats?

“Three?” Tom exclaimed. “Wow, that’s a lot of cats for one flat.” 

“I’ve just sort of accumulated them,” Emma shrugged. “I invited them all in, and they just never left.”

Tom cleaned up the food, but Emma insisted on doing the dishes. “It’s the least I can do. I am here to serve you, after all.”

She gave him a cheeky wink that sent a wave of pleasure through his body. He thought about what she had said before about boundaries – that he couldn’t become attached. And, though they had not established any sexual aspect to the arrangement, he had initially insisted that he was not interested in sex with an escort.

He was beginning to rethink that decision.

Glancing at the clock, Tom was astonished to realize it was almost midnight. He turned his gaze back to Emma, who was bent over loading dishes into the dish washer. He hadn’t noticed how perfectly round her back side was, and that same jolt of pleasure coursed through his body once again. He gulped audibly and the sound caught Emma’s attention. 

“Is something wrong?” She asked.

“Just noticing how late it is,” he replied. “Are you ready for bed, or would you like to maybe watch a movie?”

“Can’t we do both?” Emma asked. “I’m sure once I slip into bed and start watching a movie, I’ll be asleep in no time.”

She stood before Tom with a sweet smile and deep, dark bedroom eyes. He had to glance away quickly to compose himself. “Um, unfortunately, I don’t have a TV in my bedroom.”

“Really? You don’t like to fall asleep watching TV?” She asked.

“I can’t,” he replied. “I need complete silence and darkness when I’m sleeping.”

“That’s a shame,” Emma said, reaching up to brush a few samosa crumbs from Tom’s shirt. “I find the noise soothing.”

Her touch sent a wave of goosebumps over his body. “Well, maybe I could get used to it.”

Really? Tom thought to himself, you’re just going to let a girl change you?

“No,” Emma said. “You can’t just change how you sleep.”

Tom grinned and took her hand without thinking. He brought her dainty, soft hand to his lips and gave it a chaste kiss. “So, what’ll it be? Sleep or movie?”

“What movie did you have in mind?” Emma asked.

“Well, you’d mentioned you love Peter Jackson, but you’ve never seen Dead Alive,” he said. “Would you be willing to give it a shot?”

Emma thought for a moment. “I’ve heard it’s pretty gory and gross.”

“Indeed it is, but it’s done in a silly way,” Tom said. “It’s cartoonish gore.”

“Okay,” Emma relented. “But, if I get sick, it’s your fault.”

“Duly noted,” Tom replied.

Luckily, there were no bouts of sickness during the movie. But, just as she’d said, Emma fell asleep about halfway through. Tom continued to watch the movie, but he wasn’t really paying attention to it. He was watching Emma/Lisa sleep. Her head was propped up against a pillow on the opposite side of the sofa from him. Her cheek was resting gently against her left hand, and she was snoring softly. 

She was beautiful.

Then the credits began to roll, and Tom was overcome with a very different feeling: panic. What was he going to do now? Was he going to just let her sleep on the couch? She was clearly in deep sleep, but the bed was much more comfortable, and much better for her back and neck. 

He briefly contemplated the scenario where he would roll over in the middle of the night and find her sleeping next to him. His arm would instinctively slip around her waist and pull her close. She would let out a quiet moan of pleasure as she cuddled close to him.

His revelry was broken by her right eye opening lazily. “Is the movie over?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Do you want me to put on another?”

Emma lifted her head and shook it slowly. “I’m ready for bed.”

She lifted her body off the sofa and began to make her way towards the bedroom. Tom began to follow her, only to realize he hadn’t straightened up yet. He quickly maneuvered past Emma and rushed into his room. “Give me 30 seconds, ok?”

Emma had to stifle a frustrated whimper as Tom began grabbing the clothes off the floor and shoving them into his closet. Luckily, he wasn’t prone to eating in his room, so there was no food debris to be found. Once he was sufficiently satisfied with the cleaning, he stuck his head through the doorway and said, “Ok. All clear.”

“You know, you didn’t have to do that,” Emma said as she entered the room. “I don’t care about a little mess.”

She began to peel her tight jeans down her legs, giving Tom full view of her smooth, voluptuous legs. He stood completely still, not even breathing, as she lifted her shirt over her head to reveal to him her round hips and elegant back. When her hands rose to grasp the clasps of her bra, Tom couldn’t hold out any longer.

“Um, do you need something to wear to bed?” He asked, trying to alleviate his aroused state.

Emma turned her head slightly and caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. “I usually sleep naked. But, if you’d prefer, I’ll wear something.”

God damn this woman. She just might be the death of him.

Tom moved towards his dresser and quickly found an old t-shirt. “Here. This should do.”

His gazed dropped to the ground as Emma turned to grab the shirt and pulled it over her head. She removed her bra underneath the shirt effortlessly, but when she went to remove her panties, Tom panicked once again.

“Um, maybe keep the knickers on, love,” he stammered. 

Emma gave him those bedroom eyes again. “Why is that?”

Tom shot her an exasperated glare. “Because, it would make me more comfortable, all right?”

“Okay,” Emma relented, regretting having pushed his buttons so much. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine. I just…don’t want to feel any…temptation.” 

He felt like he was 19-years-old again and seeing a naked woman for the first time. Only, this time, he was desperate not to go too far. If there was to be anything more than companionship with this woman, he was determined to make it special and memorable.

The smirk on Emma’s face was gentle and sweet. “Would you prefer I slept on the couch?”

“No,” Tom said quickly. “I’m just sure I won’t be able to sleep knowing a beautiful woman was sleeping next to me without her knickers on.”

His blush was spreading from his face down to his chest, and this fact was not lost on Emma. She slipped into bed and patted the spot next to her. “Come on, then. Let’s get some rest.”  
Oh yes. She would most certainly be the death of him.


	8. Chapter 8

Emma enjoyed some of the best sleep of her life that night. The bed was even more comfortable than the sofa, and the soft sheets felt like heaven against her skin.

Egyptian cotton, she thought to herself, still half asleep. This has to be Egyptian cotton. At least 800 thread count.

For most of the night, she was vaguely aware of Tom’s body just behind hers. She lay on her left side almost the whole time, and she often felt his breath just inches away from the back of her neck. He never reached out for her, though. Never tried to pull her close and make her spoon with him. 

Usually, she would have been more than happy with that situation. The few times she had ever fallen asleep next to a client, they always wanted to spoon with her and paw at her all night. She reckoned it was the impetus for why she rarely slept on the job.   
But, something inside her was a bit disappointed that Tom kept his distance. She knew he had issues connecting with others, but she had hoped that she was already beginning to break down his walls. Perhaps it would take more time than she had anticipated.  
She drifted back into slumber as Tom was getting up for the day. He contemplated what he should do for breakfast. Should he prepare enough food for the two of them? Or, was she the type who didn’t eat breakfast? He decided to just make some toast and tea until she was awake. 

He turned on the TV as the tea kettle began to steam. The scroll at the bottom of the news program mentioned the upcoming Tech.London conference and his pending announcement about the Form Project. A wave of anxiety washed over him as he thought of himself speaking in front of all those people. As much as he loved and believed in his project, he still wasn’t looking forward to the presentation.

He hadn’t realized he was standing still as a statue watching the news until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“Good morning,” Emma purred as she ran her hand from his shoulder to the middle of his back. She nuzzled a cheek against the spot between his shoulder blades before turning to take the now boiling kettle off of the stove. She poured two cups of tea and turned to Tom inquisitively. “How do you take your tea?”

“Oh, that’s ok, love, I’ve got it,” he replied.

“No, I insist,” she said.

“All right. One sugar and just a little milk.”

Emma nodded dutifully and went about making his tea just right. She’d become something of an expert at it, in her humble opinion. She handed Tom his perfect cup of tea while turning back to hers. Emma placed her plain tea on the table, while Tom gave her a skeptical look. “You don’t take anything with your tea?”

“No,” Emma chuckled. “I guess that’s just the American in me. I like my tea nice and simple.”

Tom took his first sip of tea. “Mmmm. Well, American or not, you do make a damn fine cup of tea.”

“Thank you,” she said, feeling prouder than she should. “So, what should we do today?”

Tom was dreading that question. Honestly, when he wasn’t working he was mostly a homebody. He didn’t really have any places he frequented, save one – the Science Museum of London. And, they were having an exhibit he was dying to see.  
However, before he let this idea escape his lips, he reconsidered. He wasn’t sure he wanted her to know how much of a geek he was so soon. 

“Well,” Emma pressed. “Any ideas?”

“Um, maybe just have a picnic in a park, or something?” Yes, picnic! Girls like picnics, right?

“If that’s what you really want to do,” Emma countered, skeptically. “Honestly, I’m not really the outdoorsy type.”

“Really? Well, what would you like to do?” Tom inquired.

“It’s not about what I want to do. It’s about what you want to do.”

“Well,” Tom said, feeling a bit bold and cheeky for some reason. “I want to do…what you want to do.”

Emma’s face settled into that sexy smirk again as she thought about what she wanted to do most. The idea hit her suddenly and gleefully.

“Take me to the place where you most liked to visit as a child,” she said.

Tom was taken aback by this. Where I liked to go as a child, he thought. He almost couldn’t remember where that was. And then, it came to him. Before he dreamed of being an engineer, there was one occupation that captured his imagination as a child – being a zoologist.

“Okay,” Tom said with a cheeky smile. “Let’s go to the London Zoo.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Super short chapter, sorry. Just a transitional bit.

Emma couldn’t help but feel a little giddy about going to the zoo. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been to one. It must have been in middle school. 

As soon as Emma and Tom entered the zoo, Emma grabbed a map excitedly and began to plan out their journey. “Ok, where to first? I’m thinking the penguin habitat, because I love penguins!”

Tom had to conceal his joy over seeing Emma so excited and carefree. “Whatever you would like, love. Remember, today is about what I want to do, which is – of course – whatever you want to do.”

“You’re silly,” Emma laughed as she scoured the map, looking for the attractions that seemed most interesting. 

It was an almost perfect day. The two of them laughed and messed about like children, and basically forgot about their arrangement for about four hours. Emma stretched and yawned as they reached the exit.

“Feeling a bit tired, love?” Tom asked.

“Kind of,” Emma replied. “It was worth it, though.”

“I couldn’t agree more. This was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

“I’m glad,” Emma said. “It’s important for you to do things other than work, you know.”

“That’s true, I suppose,” Tom shrugged. “It’s not as enjoyable when you don’t have someone to share it with, though.”

Emma noted the hint of sadness of his voice. He may have been a workaholic by choice, but that didn’t mean he embraced every aspect of the lifestyle. He truly did want to have a partner in life.

“Hey,” she said, trying to bring up cheerier topics. “Why don’t we go to your favorite childhood restaurant for dinner?”

“Okay. But, I hope you’re ready for some fish and chips wrapped in newspaper.”

“Why, Mr. Williams, you do know how to treat a lady.”


	10. Chapter 10

The so-called trial run had been a success, to say the least. It didn't even take a week for Tom to be ready to commit to an arrangement with Emma. And, Frank couldn’t have been more delighted. 

“This could be huge, Emma! Do you have any idea what could happen if this Williams becomes a regular client? He’s potentially worth millions!”

Emma rolled her eyes as she pulled the phone away from her ear, nearly deaf from Frank’s exuberance. “Yeah, I suppose.”

“What do you mean ‘I suppose’?” Frank asked, incredulously. “Look, I know you’ve been thinking of giving up the game after this one. Why not go out with more money than you’ve ever dreamed of?”

“I’ve never dreamed of being rich, Frank,” she replied. “I only ever dreamed of finishing school. So, if this job enables me to do that as quickly as possible then, yeah, I’m in.”

“Fine. Whatever you say,” Frank said. “In any case, everything is being set up by Ken and myself. You’ve got a few small appearances to make with him leading up to the conference. Be there for whatever he needs. The usual stuff – make him dinner, rub his shoulders when he’s weary from work, lend him an ear when he needs one. Just be the girlfriend he never had.”

“I know what I need to do, Frank. This isn’t my first rodeo.”

“Yeah, except I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about doing much riding with this particular bull, sweetheart,” Frank laughed. 

Oh, Frank, Emma thought. You don’t know how wrong you are.

Emma appeared at Tom’s flat that night with bags in tow. He had raced home from work early to make sure things looked perfect and even gone to the shop to get groceries he thought a girl might like. 

He was preparing a roasted chicken recipe his mother had taught him as Emma knocked on the door. “Coming,” he called out.

Even while she stood there in sweatpants and a simple tank top, her beauty still made his breath catch in his throat. 

“Oh my God, something smells delicious!” Emma exclaimed as she leaned in to give Tom a chaste hug. 

Tom helped her place her bags in the bedroom. “No worries about unpacking tonight,” he said. “Let’s just relax and have some dinner.”

“Sounds wonderful,” she said as she kissed him on the cheek.

The sensation sends a jolt of joy down Tom’s spine, causing his toes to curl ever so slightly. The dinner went by pleasantly, though Emma did struggle to get Tom to sit down and relax while she cleaned the dishes. 

“It’s part of my job to take care of you,” Emma said as she attempted to push him gently onto the sofa. “Just sit back and let me worry about cleaning up.”

“Fine,” he relented. “But, if you cook, I get to clean up, okay?”

“Not a chance,” Emma called from the kitchen. “I cook, I clean. You just worry about what you need to do the next couple of weeks for the conference.”

“Ah, yes,” he sighed heavily. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“Sorry,” Emma replied as she dried her hands off with a kitchen towel. She walked behind where he sat on sofa and began to firmly yet gently massage his shoulders. There was a great deal of tension in them. “I didn’t mean to stress you out any more than you already are. I’m here to take care of the little things in your life so you don’t have to.”

Tom’s head fell forward as Emma’s hands expertly kneaded the knots out of his neck and shoulders. “Dear Christ, that feels so good, love.”

“Shhhh, just let me take care of you, okay?”

“Mmmmmm….” Was all Tom was able to utter further as Emma continued her massage. After about half an hour, Emma gently pulled Tom’s shoulders back so he was lounging against the back of the sofa.

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “I’m going to pour you a bath, all right?”

He could only muster a small nod as his eyes struggled to stay open. She entered the bathroom and admired the large bathtub before filling it with water that was at just the right temperature. He didn’t have any special toiletries for a bath, so she’d just have to do with simple hot water.

She was enjoying the feel of the steam rising up against her face when she felt a presence behind her. Tom placed his hands on her bare shoulders, and she was lost for a moment in how incredibly soft yet strong they were. 

“Thank you for this, love,” he whispered into her ear.

Emma stood to see Tom standing in just boxers and felt a slight flush sweep across her face. He was certainly no Captain America, but he was built well enough. Not too thin with a hint of definition in his pecs and biceps. He had quite nice legs, too.

“I hope you enjoy,” she said as she quickly composed herself and left the bathroom. 

In the bedroom, she began to search her bags for her pajamas and threw them on before heading out to the kitchen. She put the kettle on to make some herbal tea. It usually helped her sleep when she had a lot on her mind. And, boy, did she ever have a lot on her mind at the moment.

Would this eventually become a sexual arrangement? And, was she ready for the repercussions of that? Sure, she was a professional; but, this was beginning to feel like a different situation than she had ever been in before.

The kettle whistled to life and Emma poured herself a cup before settling into the couch to watch television. She hadn’t even realized she’d dozed off when Emma was being roused gently by a soft, masculine voice.

“Lisa? Lisa, love,” Tom said as he gently shook her shoulder.

The name still sounded strange and almost harsh coming from his mouth. She’d much rather he used her real name. But, that was not the way this game was played.

“Love, are you ready for bed?”

Emma nodded and stood slowly as Tom wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her to bed. Emma was out again as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	11. Chapter 11

After yet another amazing night’s sleep, Emma woke up more refreshed than she had felt in years. She had a habit of tossing and turning at night, but she knew that hadn’t been the case last night. In fact, as she became fully aware of her surroundings, Emma realized she had an arm strewn over her hip. 

She had spent the night in Tom’s arms. And, she felt almost at home there.

Her rustling seemed to wake him up as well. Tom moved even closer to Emma’s body until his lips were right next to her ear. “How did you sleep, love?”

“Beautifully,” Emma replied as she stretched her legs out down to her toes – a feeling of unabashed contentment coursing through her veins.

"Good,” he purred in a sleepy, sexy voice. “It’s a shame I have to get up for work now. I’ve never wanted to leave a bed less than I do right now.”

Emma opened one eye to glance at the clock – it was almost 7 a.m. Tom would be leaving for work in less than an hour, and she would be alone in his apartment for the next nine hours. She had no idea how she was going to pass the time.

She didn’t have too much time to ponder that thought, however, as Tom wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and nuzzled his face into her hair. “God, you smell good. Like lilacs.”

Emma shivered at the sensation of him inhaling deeply into her hair, and let out a girlish giggle. “It’s my shampoo.”

“What’s the name of it? I intend to buy you a lifetime supply of it, so you can smell like this forever.”

“You’re too silly,” Emma laughed. “Anyway, I can’t use the same shampoo forever. It’s not good for your hair.”

“That’s a shame,” Tom said. His arm drew even tighter around her, pulling his chest flush against her back. He took one more breath into her hair before slowly, reluctantly pulling himself up out of bed.

He did manage to place a kiss against her shoulder that was so light and delicate, Emma wasn’t completely sure she hadn’t imagined it.

Tom began his morning routine as Emma rolled out of bed to make him breakfast. She wasn’t exactly sure what he would like, so she decided to keep it simple – eggs, bacon and toast. She had just finished making breakfast when Tom bounded into the kitchen ready for work. “Oh my god, love. No one has ever made me breakfast before. Well, apart from my mum.”

Emma felt a certain amount of pride in that realization. “Well, I hope you like it.”

As they sat down for their meal, Emma remembered what she had been worried about before – what was she going to do all day? She turned to Tom, who was already digging into breakfast. 

“So, is there anything you need me to do while you’re at work today? Any errands I could run, or chores I could do?”

Tom gulped down his tea and gave her a bewildered gaze. “Um…not that I can think of? Why, love?”

“Well, I’m just wondering what I’m going to do all day.”

“What would you be doing if you were at home?” He asked.

“Probably just lounging around the house, unless I had some cleaning to do,” Emma replied. “But, I don’t like the idea of being lazy in another person’s home. I feel I should pitch in with any chores that need to be done.”

Emma’s earnest and sincere thoughtfulness touched Tom. He had truly never met a girl quite like her.

“If you’d really like to help,” Tom said with a playfully exasperated sigh. “You could do some shopping for me. I got a few things yesterday, but I wasn’t sure of exactly what you’d like. So, you can run down to the shop and pick out anything you’d like, my treat.”

Tom went to reach for his wallet when Emma stopped him stubbornly. “No, I can pay for my own groceries.”

“I insist,” he continued, undeterred. “You’re my guest, and I mean to treat you.” 

Emma felt a twinge of annoyance at the word guest. She would hope she meant a little more to him than that. Then, she smacked herself internally for thinking that way.

“Okay. I’ll let you treat me this time,” she said. 

Tom smiled broadly as he placed some notes on the table. He glanced at his watch and sighed. “Damn. Time to get to work.”

He stood and grabbed his jacket before hurrying for the door.

“Wait!” Emma exclaimed a little louder than she had planned. Tom turned to her in surprise, his hand hovering just above the doorknob.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

Before she could stop herself, Emma rushed to the door and placed a gentle kiss at the corner of his lips. “Have a good day.”

She turned on her heel and retreated just as quickly as she’d arrived. Tom stood there gob smacked for a moment, exiting the apartment in a daze. His fingertips brushed the place where Emma had kissed him and he couldn’t hold back the grin that spread from ear to ear. 

He made a vow in that moment – to hell with Emma’s so-called “escort rules.” He would make her fall in love with him and take her away from that world. He would save her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some descriptions of self-love in this one

Once she’d finished the dishes, Emma hopped in the shower and reveled in the spray of the warm water against her skin. It felt almost as good as Tom’s arm wrapped around her.

Stop it, Emma! She screamed internally. You can’t think like this! No attachments!

Emma groaned as she leaned against the shower wall, the hot water beating against her back. She wanted to feel this way, she demanded. She wanted to know what it’s like to be loved by a man who would love her unconditionally.

NO! Her inner voice screamed back. You’ll just get hurt. What makes you think that Tom is really different from any other man? In the end, they’re all the same.

She didn’t truly want to believe that. Tom was very different. He is sweet and kind and pure. He had an innocence that assured Emma that he was completely genuine.

You’re wrong, the voice said. They’re all the same. But, I think there may be a way for us to flush him out of our system.

The memory of Tom standing before her in just his boxers flashed before her eyes. His muscular legs and well-defined arms flashed through her mind. His full, pouty lips appeared in her mind next. If she was correct in remembering that kiss on her shoulder this morning, those lips were soft and warm. 

Oh, and this morning – how amazing it felt to wake up in his arms. How much pleasure she took in him nuzzling her hair and holding her close. And, yes, she had felt a certain presence close to her back side. In fact, when he stood before her in his boxers, she could vaguely make out the outline of his manhood through the thin material. 

Here’s the deal, the voice returned. You take care of any sexual frustration here, and then we can get on with our day.

Emma groaned in agreement as she reached down to gently stroke herself. Her mind flashed all of those images of Tom through her imagination in rapid succession as her ministrations became harder and faster. She felt her release breakthrough in surprisingly quick time, and she slumped against the shower wall as the water began to run cold.

Ok, she thought to herself. Let’s see if that works.

Shopping took surprisingly more time than Emma had anticipated. She was only planning on grabbing a few items she simply couldn’t live without. Instead, she began thinking about the things she could make Tom for dinner this week. Luckily, Tom left her a decent wad of cash for her shopping trip.

Once she got all of the groceries put away at Tom’s flat, she looked around to see what else she could do to make his day easier. It was a bit dusty, so she began dusting all the surfaces. That left a fair bit of dust on the floor, so she began vacuuming and sweeping up, which led to mopping and wiping down all the kitchen counters. 

She was just about to attack the bathroom, when Emma’s phone began to ring. This was a burner phone, one that she would keep for this job only and toss away at the end. Only three people had this number – Tom, Frank and Ken. Emma held her breath and hoped it was Tom, just calling because he was thinking about her.

Emma once again smacked herself internally and made her way to the ringing phone. She was at once disappointed and relieved to find Ken’s name blaring from the screen.

“Hey, Ken. What’s up?”

“Good afternoon, Emma,” He replied. “I hope all is well at Tom’s flat?”

“Yeah, it’s great. I was just cleaning up the kitchen a bit.”

“That’s fantastic,” Ken said, sounding a little stunned. “Look, I’m hoping I can get you in here a few days this week so we can help Tom get prepared for the first function we have before the conference. We need to discuss how you two will present yourselves, and make sure Tom is ready for the cameras.”

“Sounds great,” Emma said. “I’m available to come in whenever you need, just say the word.”

“How about tomorrow; around noon?”

“I’ll be there with bells on,” Emma replied as they said their goodbyes. She would need to come up with another alias and backstory that she could give to the paparazzi if they asked. She was suddenly overcome with a wonderful idea.

The bathroom was spotless and dinner was on the stove by the time Tom came home. He was tired, yet thrilled to be home with Emma. “Hello, love. I’ve missed you.”

Emma was at the stove, stirring her spicy Alfredo sauce when Tom entered the kitchen to greet her. Before she could turn around, he wrapped his arms around her waist and inhaled deeply.

“My god. That sauce smells almost as good as you do,” he exclaimed.

“Oh, come on,” Emma countered. “This sauce smells way better than I do.”

“We'll have to agree to disagree then, love,” he chuckled. 

Tom gently brushed Emma’s hair off of her right shoulder to reveal the soft skin of her neck. Finding all the boldness and strength within himself, he placed a firm, wet kiss against that lovely, soft neck. Emma’s hand stopped stirring the sauce as she gasp in pleasure and surprise.

"Oh, Tom!” What she thought was an exclamation was actually barely above a whisper, but it resonated throughout her body. Every part of her reacted to that kiss – every part.

Apparently, her little tete au tete with herself this morning had not done the trick.

His hands ran down her thighs – mostly bare under her shorts – before reaching around to give her arse a gentle squeeze and then pulling himself away abruptly. He wanted to leave her wanting more. And, indeed, he had.

Emma composed herself and tried to begin a casual conversation. “So, Ken called today and said we need to begin working on getting you ready for the event next week. I’m going to meet with you two in the office at noon tomorrow.”

Tom almost couldn’t contain his excitement. He was actually looking forward to showing Emma the company he had built, and letting her in on the Form Project.

“That’s great, love.”

“Should I dress professionally? You know, like I’m some hotshot PR person that’s there to turn you into the next Mark Zuckerberg?”

Tom’s expression dropped into a playful pout. “Zuckerberg? That guy’s a wanker!”

“Okay, well turn you into whatever other tech savvy wunderkind isn’t a wanker,” Emma replied.

“It’s pretty much just me, love. But, don’t worry about looking any certain way. Our office is pretty casual.”

“If you say so,” Emma said. “Well, dinner is ready.”


	13. Chapter 13

Noon the next day arrived almost too quickly. Emma arrived at the Asgard Industries offices in a casual blue wrap dress and tan ballet flats. Her hair was pulled back in a half ponytail and she put on minimal makeup. Her appearance still made Tom gasp slightly at her loveliness.

“You really didn’t need to dress up,” he explained, a familiar tightening occurring in both his chest and his trousers.

“Sorry, I didn’t think this was all that dressed up,” she replied, her tone turning teasing. “I can go back and change it you want.”

Tom caught on to her cheeky tone. “That won’t be necessary. Besides, you do look exceptionally lovely today. Of course, you look lovely every day.”

He placed a firm yet gentle hand on the small of her back and guided her into his office where Ken was fretting over a rack full of suits, all nearly identical to Tom’s eyes. Of course, Tom really didn’t have much of a fashion sense.

“Oh, Lisa, thank god you’re here!” Ken said, rushing over to pull Emma away from Tom and over to the racks of clothes. “You must know a thing or two about suits, right?”

“I’m pretty up on my fashion, I suppose,” she replied as she sifted through the bespoke suits hanging from the first rack. They were all very similar, but Emma immediately began to pick out the pieces that were of the best quality. She mentally thanked all of her very well-dressed gay clients.

“This one for the event on Sunday,” she said as she pulled a smart Gucci single-breasted suit with pinstripes. “This is formal, yet still with a unique air. It would dress Tom up without taking away his individuality.

“After all,” she continued as she turned to Ken, who seemed skeptical, “We’re not trying to change Tom. We’re just trying to help him become his best self, yes?”

Ken’s brow furrowed slightly, but he eventually relented. “Okay, you’re right, Lisa.”

Emma gave him a sweet smile before shooting a sly wink to Tom, who returned the wink with a cheeky grin.

“Well, now that that’s settled,” Ken said, rifling through some papers he had been holding. “Let’s talk about what we’re going to tell others about your relationship. I’ve got a few ideas…”

Emma held up a hand, “No, I have the perfect alias. I’ve been thinking about it for the past few days, and I need to have complete control of the backstory to be confident in its authenticity.”

Ken stood slack-jawed at Emma’s forthrightness. Emma turned to Tom and held out her hands for him to hold. He obliged immediately.

“You see, my name is Emma Tidwell, and Tom and I met when we were both engineering students at Oxford. We had a brief romance, which ended when I had to drop out of school to…” Emma hesitated slightly, choosing her next words carefully. “To…take care of her sick mother. However, as soon as my mother was back on the mend, I began trying to get back into the world of engineering. I went to a tech expo in Slough last year where Tom was speaking, and we reconnected. And, well, the rest is history. Or, more appropriately, future.”

Tom joined Ken in his slack-jawed state as he listened to her words. How did she know he spoke at a tech conference in Slough last year? It wasn’t a big deal. There weren’t even many paps there.

“Well,” Ken said, clearing his throat. “That sounds like a somewhat convincing story. However, there aren’t that many female engineering majors at Oxford.”

Anger briefly boiled in Emma’s blood at Ken’s chauvinistic remark. But, she managed to be as polite as possible as she replied, “There are actually plenty of female engineering majors at Oxford. I do my research, Mr. Smith.”

He held his hands up in defeat. “All right, then. That sounds like a fantastic backstory. I’m sure the two of you can hammer out any other details later on tonight.”

Emma raised an eyebrow at Ken. Was he implying something salacious? She shook the thought away, and turned to Tom who was still looking astonished.

My god, Tom thought. She is amazing. Oh yes, she must be mine.

“Do you like that story, Tom?” Emma asked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and gazing at him earnestly. 

“I do, love,” he replied. “I think it is the perfect way to present us.”

There was so much implied in that sentence that Tom and Emma couldn’t pull their gazes away from each other for almost a full minute. 

Ken cleared his throat in frustration. “That’ll do for the day, Lisa.” 

“Actually,” Emma began, “you both should become used to calling me Emma. It will make things run a lot smoother.”

“I’m quite content in just calling you love, love,” Tom said with a wink.

“I’m very well aware of that,” she replied with a smirk. “But, you should try to call me Emma as often as possible just to avoid slipping up and calling me Lisa.”

“That’s a very good point, Tom,” Ken replied. “All right then, Li…I mean, Emma. I think we’ve got quite a lot accomplished today. We should call it a day.”

“Actually,” Tom interjected. “I was hoping to show – “Emma” – around for a bit. It is important for her to know a thing or two about my company if she is to convincingly be my girlfriend, right?”

Ken rubbed his forehead with both hands before relenting. “Yes, that is important. But, don’t take all day, please?”

Tom wrapped his arm around Emma’s neck as he chuckled, “no promises.”

With that, the “couple” left the room and left Ken in a state of frustration and elation. If this “Emma” began to take too much of Tom’s attention away from work, the project could become derailed. However, Ken couldn’t help but notice how Emma had helped Tom’s confidence. He was becoming a regular Colin Firth, charming through and through.

As Tom led Emma around the office, he began to introduce her to his staff as his new girlfriend, Emma, an old flame whom he reconnected with recently. Much of his staff seemed surprised, but nonetheless thrilled for him. It made him feel proud to have a staff that knew his sacrifices, and yet hoped him happiness.

Tom began to lead Emma into the elevator to his lab when a thought hit him. “Um…Emma…What made you think of that name and that backstory? And, how did you come up with it so quickly?”

Emma almost froze at the question, but recovered quickly. “I’ve had to use aliases before when I’ve worked with clients looking for the ‘girlfriend experience,’” She explained. “Honestly, it’s just become kind of easy – sometimes fun – to become someone else so easily.”

Tom glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was quite the enigma at times.

“Perhaps you missed your calling,” Tom said, nonchalantly. “Maybe, you should have been an actress.”

“I am in many ways,” Emma replied. “Most people never meet the real me.”

Tom’s heart began to sink a bit. It really never occurred to him that she may be faking everything she portrayed to him. “Even me?”

Emma turned to him and took his face in her hands. “Tom, I told you that this was an arrangement. We can’t become attached, so I sometimes withhold certain aspects of myself for protection. But, I promise you, I have been more honest with you than I have been with most people in my work and my life.”

This didn’t completely ease Tom’s mind. But, he could feel she was being sincere with him. He still couldn’t help but wonder what could she be concealing from him?

“Here,” Tom said as the elevator doors opened. “Let me show you what has been my passion for the past four years.”

Beyond the elevator was an engineer’s dream. Research and development as far as the eye could see. Tom found himself a bit surprised as he noticed how Emma’s face registered shock and admiration, instead of confusion. Could she really know as much about engineering as she lets on?

“I read that the Form Project was about 3D printing. Is that the prototype over there?” She pointed to the small chamber in the middle of the room surrounded by orange Plexiglas. 

“It is,” he replied, stunned to the spot as Emma sauntered over to the prototype.

“That’s amazing,” she said as she circled the chamber with wide eyes. “Something so beautifully simple will help people who’ve lost their legs to walk again. Is it finished?”

“Almost,” Tom replied as he strode over to Emma’s side. “End of the week, we hope to have the tweaks worked out so we can run significant tests on it.”

Emma couldn’t contain the smile on her face. It was such a refreshing change not only to meet a man who had such passion and ambition, but that he shared an interest with her that few people did. Her heart did sink a bit, though, when she remembered she couldn’t really tell him about her real life, or her desired pursuits therein.

Ken ruined the moment by barreling through the lift doors and frantically calling for Tom.

“We’ve got a meeting with investors from Japan in fifteen minutes, Tom! Quit messing about!”

“Calm down, Ken! I’ll be there shortly. Just let me say goodbye to Emma,” Tom said as he turned to Emma with those sparkling green eyes. “I’ll see you at home, all right, Love?”

“Okay, sweetie,” Emma replied, cheerfully. “What would you like for dinner?”

“Oh no! Not tonight, I was thinking something simple. How about just some pizza?”

“Okay,” she relented. “Whatever you’d like, babe.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've got some tweaking to do to the rest of the story after this, but I hope to begin posting the rest soon. Oh, and things heat up in this one ;-P

As soon as Emma returned to Tom’s flat, she sank into the couch in elation. She felt relieved to have finally told Tom about her real self…sort of. She had decided she could disseminate the information in bits and pieces. He was a brilliant man, she told herself, and he could figure it out.

She changed into her pajamas and idly cleaned around the flat while the show Cheers blared in the background on Netflix. She almost missed the sound of Tom’s ringtone coming from her phone. Emma rushed over to answer.

“Hey, sweetie!” She said into the phone breathlessly.

“My goodness, love. Are you having a workout, or something?” Tom laughed into his phone.

“No, just almost missed your call,” Emma said. “I was playing the TV a bit too loud.”

“Fair enough. So, I’m on my way home, how about you call that number on the fridge for Basilico, and order us whatever kind of pizza you want?”

“Are you sure? What if I want anchovies and pineapple?” Emma asked sarcastically.

“Then get anchovies and pineapple,” Tom laughed. “And, order me a pepperoni. I’ll be home in ten minutes, okay?”

“Can’t wait,” Emma replied with a smile before hanging up her phone. She found the phone number for Basilico on the refrigerator and called for one large pepperoni pizza. 

Her gaze was pulled to the shelf just above her head, where she was a bit shocked to find unopened wine bottles collecting dust. Wow, I guess he really isn’t much of a drinker, she thought.

She pulled a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the shelf and looked at the label. It was a 1997 from the Napa Valley. Must have been worth a fortune, she thought. Emma hesitated as she glanced at the bottle, desperately wanting to un-cork it and revel in the bouquet. But, would Tom be upset if she opened this bottle he’d obviously been holding on to for some reason?

Emma placed the bottle back on the shelf and poured herself a scotch instead. She sauntered back into the living room and flopped onto the couch, turning on the TV. After flipping through the channels for five minutes, she decided to take a look at Tom’s DVD collection. He had pretty typical geek taste, and that brought a smile to Emma’s face. 

He had every episode of Star Trek, Star Trek: Next Generation, as well as every Trekkie movie made prior to the J.J. Abrams era. A true, geeky purist. There was a section of DVDs that seemed to be pushed off to the side, as if Tom was afraid of anyone finding them. 

Emma reached back and grabbed one of the boxes to see what Tom could be hiding. It was the movie “Love Actually.”

She chuckled and opened the box to check if it was really what she thought it was. It was truly one of her favorite rom-coms. She couldn’t believe that he owned it, but her joy was interrupted by the sound of Tom unlocking the front door. She thrust the movie back into its place and threw herself back on the couch. 

“Hello, Love. Is the pizza on the way?”

“Yes,” Emma said.

The two of them enjoyed the pizza and watched some mindless TV show; though Emma knew Tom didn’t enjoy it very much. She walked over to the shelf of his DVDs and pulled the movie Star Trek: Generations out from hiding.

“I want to watch this one,” she said.

Tom’s face lit up with excitement. “That’s one of my favorites.”

“Mine, too,” Emma said.

They sat and watched the movie next to each other until Tom decided to shift on to his side. He gently pulled at Emma’s shoulders and encouraged her to lie down with him. “Come on, Love. Let’s lie like this. It will be so much more comfortable.”

Emma shifted over to her left side, and lay on the couch just in front of Tom as the movie came to an end. She sighed as though exasperated. “Well, guess that movie is over. And, I’m not sure I’ll make it through another one without passing out.”

“Okay then, Love,” Tom replied. “How about we go to bed? Or, would you like a nice bath first?”

“Thanks, but I’m okay on the bath,” Emma said. “I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep in the tub.”

Tom crawled over the top of Emma before taking her hands and lifting her off the couch. “Well, then,” Tom said. “Let’s get you to bed.”

He settled her onto the bed without even bothering to take her out of her pajamas. Even though, he desperately wanted to. Tom pulled her close to him and breathed in the scent of her hair – his favorite fragrance. 

He placed a gentle kiss on top of Emma’s head, causing her to look up at him sleepily. She smiled as she tilted her chin up higher and kissed Tom softly on the lips. Not a lustful kiss, but a loving one. Tom involuntarily whimpered when she slowly pulled her lips away. He wanted more.

In a moment of pure, blind passion, Tom decided to be bold and take matters into his own hands. He placed his right hand behind Emma’s head and laced his fingers through her soft hair, grasping it ever so lightly. Holding her head in place, Tom tilted his and leaned into to capture her lips. 

It was an innocent kiss at first, until Tom decided to deepen it by slipping his tongue between Emma’s lips, parting them forcefully. Emma moaned into his mouth. 

“Tom. Your lips feel so good,” she gasped out in between kisses.

“Not as good as yours,” Tom replied as he nibbled gently at her bottom lip, eliciting another moan from Emma’s sweet mouth. 

The kissing continued until Emma had to break away to catch her breath. “God, Tom, what’s gotten into you?”

Tom shifted his weight so he had Emma pinned to the bed. “I’m taking what I want. Isn’t that what a confident man does?”

His lips once again found Emma’s as he positioned himself between her legs. There were layers of clothing in between the two of them, but the sensation was still incredible. The undeniable ecstasy of feeling her warm heat pressed against his erection. 

Emma’s moans of pleasure indicated to Tom that she felt the same way. Her nails scratched down his back until they dug into his firm ass. This caused Tom to buck his hips up towards her pelvis with such force, Emma almost cried out in pain. But, it was the most pleasurable pain she had ever experienced. 

Tom’s lips trailed down to Emma’s neck and he began to suck and nibble at the delicate skin there. His hands found the waistband to Emma’s pajama bottoms. He slipped his thumbs under the elastic and grazed them along the soft skin of her hips. 

Before he could even comprehend what he was doing, Tom had dipped his right hand down the front of Emma’s pants and he ran a finger along her hot, wet slit. Emma pulled away in surprise. “Tom, wait. Are you sure you want to take things further?”

Tom pulled his hand away and sat back on his heels. She was right; he needed to approach this rationally.

“Sorry, Love. I just got a bit carried away,” he apologized as he stretched his body out next to hers. 

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Emma said as she snuggled into his chest. “I enjoyed it very much.”

Tom chuckled. “Oh, I could tell,” He replied as his voice rose to a girlish falsetto. “‘Oh, Tom, what’s gotten into you?’”

Emma smacked him in the shoulder half-heartedly. “I don’t sound like that.”

“Maybe not, but you do make the most adorable noises when you’re turned on.”

“You liked that, did you?” Emma asked as she pressed a kiss into the base of his neck. 

He nodded wordlessly, looking into her eyes with lust.

“Oh, Tom,” she moaned as she bit her bottom lip seductively. “Has anyone ever told you how sexy you are?”

“No,” Tom said with a laugh. “Of course not. Why would they? I’m not sexy.”

“Yes you are,” Emma whispered as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. “You just need the right woman to bring it out of you.”

He placed his right hand on Emma’s cheek and traced the outline of her lips with his thumb. “I think I’ve found that woman.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skips ahead a bit, but the ending is definitely NSFW. (*ahem*SMUT ALERT!*ahem*)

The night of the first event leading up to the Tech.London conference came almost too soon. Tom still wasn’t sure if he was ready for the attention, even though Emma told him every day that he was going to be fine.

“Are you certain this is the suit he should be wearing?” Ken asked Emma frantically. “It seems a bit buffoonish now.”

“It’s fine,” Emma assured him as she shot Tom an exasperated look. “He looks like Tom. Just, with a dash of old school sophistication.”

For her part, Emma didn’t pull out all the stops on this one – simple, little black dress and some come-and-get-it heels. All she needed to do was stroll down the red carpet with Tom, hold his hand and smile for photos. She was almost excited for it.

Tom’s knee refused to stop twitching on the way to the venue. Emma finally reached her hand down and leaned in so her lips were next to his ear. “Relax, baby. You’ve got this.”

The flashbulbs nearly blinded Tom, and the rest of the night began to become a bit of a blur. He could only pick out bits and pieces of the evening, mostly of Emma. She was like an ethereal goddess. She mingled so easily amongst these people, and her easy demeanor helped him be more at ease.

Investors began to swarm him as soon as Tom hit the lobby of the hotel for this event. He began to converse with them fairly easily, holding tightly to Emma’s waist as he did so. Once he began to understand what he was supposed to say to these people, he became so much more at ease. 

And, Emma was absolutely brilliant. Whenever she felt Tom was being a bit too over the top, she’d change the subject and let Tom collect himself before carrying on.

By the end of the night, the story Emma created seemed second nature to both of them. The whole story about how they met in college and reunited years later almost seemed like the real thing. Tom was beginning to feel as though he’d known Emma for most of their lives.

“You were amazing tonight, sweetheart,” Emma exclaimed as the two of them walked through the door of Tom’s flat. “I was so proud of you!”

“Couldn’t have done it without you, love,” Tom replied as he lifted Emma up by her hips, twirling her through the air. “We need to continue this celebration, baby!”

Emma’s breath caught a bit when he called her that. Baby? He was becoming bolder by the day. But, was he ready for the sexual arrangement? Hell, was she ready for it?

As her feet touched the floor again, Emma gazed up into Tom’s eyes, searching for some sign that this was absolutely the right thing to do – that the two of them should cross this line. The sign wasn’t to be found in his eyes, but in his lips. His kiss was deep and passionate. He devoured her mouth while pressing her body against his. 

Her hands instinctively ran through his hair as their mouths slanted against each other time and again. “Oh, Tom!”

That was all the motivation he needed to grasp her hips, lift her up so her legs wrapped around him, and rush her into the bedroom. 

It was all so innocent at first – Tom seemed to simply want a snog. Something nice and slow, where their lips and hands could explore each other innocently. Then, Tom began to explore deeper.

His hands wandered up her bare thighs to the edge of her panties, where his fingers curled over the waistband and pulled gently until the garment was tossed to the ground. He positioned himself between her legs, but before he began to tease her gently, he removed his shirt and tossed it to meet with Emma’s underpants. He gave her a cheeky grin and asked, “Do you like what you see, love?”

“Oh yes,” Emma replied. “You’re so sexy, baby.”

Emma’s body began to gently writhe against the bed as Tom’s hands found their way back to her knees, and began trailing up her inner thighs towards her soft, warm center. The bottom of her dress slid up to her hips, and the soft tuft of pubic hair became visible to Tom. He trailed one finger along the sweet, wet fold of her nether lips. 

Emma sucked in a sharp breath. 

“Tom,” she hissed out, barely above a whisper. “What are you doing to me?

The question caused Tom to pause and gaze into Emma’s eyes. “I’m sorry. Is this wrong? I know we haven’t discussed taking our arrangement any further.”

“Does it feel wrong to you?” Emma asked.

“No,” Tom admitted as he once again traced his finger along her slit. “This feels completely right. But, how does it feel to you?”

“It feels amazing, Tom,” she replied.

“And…does this fit into our arrangement?”

Emma raised her head off the pillow and stared into Tom’s eyes with desire. “My arrangement with you is to take care of you and your needs. Do you need me, Tom?”

“Yes,” Tom replied. “I need you desperately.”

“Then,” Emma said, “I am fulfilling our arrangement, aren’t I?”

“Oh, love,” Tom said lustfully. “You have no idea.”

Tom lifted the finger that was slowly searching Emma’s warm center and placed it against his lips. He slipped the finger into his mouth before returning it to Emma’s burning heat, sliding it inside of her and finding an unabashed thrill in her enthusiastic reaction.

Emma’s hips instinctively rose off the bed and she let out a soft moan. “Oh my god. Baby, that feels so good.”

She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Her hands trailed up the sides of her body until they found her breasts, where she gently kneaded and teased until her nipples grew hard under her touch.

Despite how turned on she was, even Emma could not have guessed just what Tom had in store for her next.

Emma’s eyes were shut tight as she moaned and writhed against Tom and the amazing pleasure he was giving her. But, when his tongue met the with the tightly coiled bundle of nerves that lay at the crest of her center, Emma let out of a cry of pleasure she’d never uttered before.

“Holy fuck!” She screamed. “Tom! Jesus Christ, seriously, what are you doing to me?”

Tom’s head briefly lifted from between Emma’s thighs and he gave her a worried glance. “Do you not like this? Am I not doing it right?”

Emma’s hands practically slammed Tom’s face back between her legs. “Don’t fucking stop!”

Her moan of ecstasy was all the motivation Tom needed to continue. He inserted another finger into Emma as he lapped hungrily at her clit. Emma’s response was so intense, he was afraid he may have to restrain her.

For Emma’s part, she couldn’t remember the last time a man had gone down on her. It wasn’t typically what men were interested in when they hired an escort – they were more concerned with their own pleasure.

It wasn’t long before Emma found her first release. Her legs tightened around Tom’s head as she began to shake and spasm around his fingers. Tom was still lapping hungrily at her, until every last convulsion found its way out of Emma’s body. Although, Emma still trembled gently as Tom crawled to lie beside her and take her into his arms.

“Love, are you all right? You’re shaking.”

“I’ll be fine,” Emma replied. “That was just…too amazing, Tom. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Tom tilted Emma’s chin upwards so she was looking into his eyes. “Well then, I guess your other clients simply don’t know how to treat a woman.”

She let out a sharp snort of laughter. “Darling, that’s not what they were paying me for.”

“Oh, and what were they paying you for?”

“Sex with a woman who wasn’t their wife, mostly,” Emma said with a shrug. “Pretty basic mistress stuff.”

"Well,” Tom said, his voice becoming husky with lust again. “You are most definitely not my mistress.”

Emma chuckled lightly. “Not unless you’re hiding a woman away from me.”

“Never,” Tom said. “I couldn’t think of another woman I’d want more in my life if I tried.”

In a quick motion, Tom positioned himself on top of Emma and, once again, between her legs. Both were still mostly clothed, so Tom decided to remedy that situation. He stood up briefly to remove his pants and boxers before returning to the bed. 

Emma leaned forward so he could unzip her dress and pull the thin fabric down her hips, discarding it to the corner of the room. Now, both completely naked, they couldn’t help but let their gazes roam the other’s form. Tom’s main focus seemed to be Emma’s breasts. She gave him a smirk when she noticed this fact.

“You seem to like those two a lot.”

Tom inched his face towards Emma’s left breast and chuckled at her commentary. “Like is not strong enough a word.”

He kissed the soft flesh around her nipple before taking the stiff, pink bud into his mouth to suckle gently. It sent shockwaves of pleasure through Emma’s body and, subsequently, through Tom’s body, as well.

Emma had been surprisingly shy and repressed throughout this experience. She hadn’t even let her gaze wander to what Tom had in store for her between his legs. Once she did, she almost wanted to weep – he was, by far, one of the more well-endowed men she’d ever seen. 

She was so taken aback by him; she was even too timid to touch him. This was not lost on him. Tom grasped Emma’s right hand and directed it towards his cock. Once Emma’s delicate fingers gripped him tightly, both let out gasps of shock and pleasure.

“Oh my god, Tom, you’re so big!” She cried out. 

“Yeah, do you like that, baby?”

“Yes,” Emma whimpered in desperation. She couldn’t believe how turned on she was. “Please, Tom. Stop teasing me.”

“Wasn’t aware I was, Love,” Tom replied into her ear. His arousal became increased as he realized she was begging for him. She was giving herself over to him completely.

And, indeed, Emma began desperately to guide Tom’s cock to her entrance. 

“Easy, Love. What’s the rush?” He asked, though he was somehow suppressing how much he wanted to simply bury his cock inside her and fuck until they were both spent.

“Tom, baby, I need you.” That was, honestly, all he needed to hear to finally give in to his own need.

Grasping Emma’s hips tightly, Tom thrust his pelvis up sharply and buried himself in her. Something between a moan and a squeal escaped Emma’s lips, and Tom held himself there before thrusting again with equal force. The same noise emanated from Emma.

Tom decided this was his favorite sound in the world.

His thrusts began to increase in fervor and pace as Tom had a horrifying realization – he wasn’t going to last very long. Before he could stop himself, he even announced this out loud to Emma. 

To his amazement and relief, she replied, “I’m not going to last much longer either, baby.”

And, sure enough, both succumbed to their climaxes almost simultaneously. Tom buried his face into the pillow next to Emma’s head and let out a guttural groan as Emma’s moan/squeal increased and seemed to come from somewhere deep inside of her chest.

“Oh fuck, Emma,” Tom said as he raised his head to look into her eyes. Her beautiful, deep brown eyes were hooded with lust as she glanced back at him with a smile.

“That was amazing, Tom,” she said. “That may have been the best sex I’ve ever had.”

He grinned down at her, “You’re just saying that. I know I’m not the best in bed, love.”

“Oh, but you are. Don’t doubt yourself, Tom. You are capable of anything.”

Tom sighed and rolled onto his side, pulling Emma into arms at the same time. “You know, you’re going to grow tired of having to reassure me all the time.”

“I don’t believe that,” Emma replied. “You’re not going to always doubt yourself. You just need someone who believes in you.”

“And, are you that person?”

Emma lifted her chin to look into Tom’s eyes – they were filled with an odd mixture of hope and fear. “I can be if that’s what you want. I do believe in you, Tom. I think you’re brilliant.”

“Thank you,” Tom replied in relief. “You’re right; I just need the right person in my life. I’m grateful it’s you.”


	16. Chapter 16

Tom had become exponentially more confident since that first night they spent together. He’d even wake Emma up now with sweet kisses on her neck, and the promise of a nice morning shag to follow.

She’d replaced Tom’s morning cup of tea for his quick pick-me-up. 

The remaining events leading up to the Tech.London conference were very much the same. Though, Emma was delighted to find she didn’t have to keep reassuring Tom of his brilliance as much.

At the back of Tom’s mind was still that vow he had made two months ago – that Emma would be his by the end of their arrangement.

He had been laying on the romance pretty thick by this point. Emma had fresh flowers every day, he called her as often as he could just to let her know he was thinking of her, and he had become an expert on how to please a woman, thanks to much practice, and possibly the Internet.

The Tech.London conference had come much quicker than Tom had been anticipating, though. He decided to make the reward for this particular event even more satisfying for her. He would take her away on a vacation.

Tom tried to keep Emma’s encouraging words at the forefront in his mind as he prepared to take the stage for his presentation. He’d let Ken talk him into getting contact lenses, and was now regretting that decision as they began to irritate his eyes. Emma noticed his discomfort.

“Tom, are you okay, sweetie?”

“It’s these damn contacts. I knew they were a bad idea.”

Emma saw his eyes were beginning to turn red. Luckily, she had eye drops in her purse just in case. “It’s okay, babe. You’re eyes are just dry.”

She got him to tilt his head back so she could apply the drops. “There, that should help. Try not to think about your eyes, okay? Concentrate on the project, that’s all that matters, right?”

Tom nodded as he dabbed at his eyes with a tissue to remove any excess moisture. “Right. I’m just about ready.”

“Mr. Thomas Williams?” A stagehand called out over the din of people milling about the backstage area.

“Right here,” Ken replied excitedly as he rushed Tom to the stage without another word. Emma pouted a bit as she didn’t even get to give him a good luck kiss.

The crowd cheered as Tom took the stage. It was all so surreal to think the former nerd was being lauded like some kind of rock star. He took a deep breath, glanced at his note cards briefly, and began his presentation.

“Imagine for a moment you’re one of the millions of people in the world who has had the unfortunate experience of losing a limb; losing the use of an arm or a leg, and then relying on others to help you perform tasks that used to be routine for you. Now, imagine there was a way to reproduce those limbs in a strong, durable material at a very low cost. That’s what the Form Project is all about – making 3D printing as common place as printing a document from your home computer.”

Once he was off and running, the words flowed from Tom. He was speaking with the same unadulterated enthusiasm as when he’s speaking only to Emma. She stood at the side of the stage with a huge smile on her face. He’d come so far in only a couple of months. 

She beamed with pride at how he composed himself on stage. He even managed to slip a joke or two into his presentation, eliciting laughter from the audience. 

Tom was so elated with how well it went, he seemed to float off the stage and into Emma’s waiting embrace. “You were brilliant, darling!”

“Thanks to you,” Tom replied as he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Following the presentation was about an hour of handshakes and small talk with investors. Tom kept Emma tight to his side, as he hoped to extricate the two of them from the premises as soon as possible. 

Once Tom had guided the two of them close enough to the exit, he quickly hurried them out the door to the valet. “We don’t have a car waiting. We just need a cab.”

“Are you sure, Mr. Williams?” The valet asked. “I’m pretty sure Mr. Smith has a car waiting for your party.”

“We’re not part of Mr. Smith’s party,” Tom replied. “We’ll just be going home now.”

The valet shrugged and walked to the curb to flag down a taxi for them. Emma snuggled into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. “This was such a perfect night.”

Tom let out a chuckle. “It’s not over yet, love.”

Once they were home, Tom guided Emma to their bedroom, and began to undress her the way he knew she liked. She seemed so comfortable leaning into him as he unzipped her dress and she let it fall to her feet. Emma wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

Tom had to employ much strength to pull Emma away and force her to look into his eyes. “Em, I have something that I want to tell you.”

She reluctantly stopped her aggressive pursuance of him and listened to what he had to say.

“Well,” he began, “We’re going to need some time off after this press tour, and I have a friend who will put us up on his yacht in Ibiza. We’ll also have to stay in a hotel for a bit, if that’s ok?”

Emma gave him the most incredulous look Tom had ever received in his life. “Really? You think I have a problem staying in a hotel in Ibiza?”

“Just letting you know,” Tom replied.

“Wow, a trip to Ibiza,” Emma purred as she began to remove Tom’s clothing. “You do spoil me, Mr. Williams.” 

“You’re worth it,” he said.


	17. Chapter 17

So much of their vacation went by like a blur to Emma. It was nonstop partying followed by she and Tom retreating to their suite to have wild sex every night. 

Tom’s increased confidence and notoriety resulted in the two of them being let into some of the most exclusive night clubs and restaurants on the island. They would dance the night away, and somehow, still manage to make love passionately until the wee hours of the morning. 

It seemed like the greatest dream ever, until it came to staying on the yacht. Trouble began from Emma early on as she began to get motion sickness.

It was fairly embarrassing for Emma to excuse herself constantly to throw up. It wasn’t as if it was her first time on a yacht. But, Tom being Tom, he was unconditionally concerned and attentive to her needs.

One night, after a party with some of Tom’s new investors and their trophy wives, Tom decided to sweep Emma off her feet, literally. Once his guests were gone, he swung Emma up to his arms and rushed her to the master suite. Emma managed to keep her nausea in check, as she was determined not to ruin anything Tom had planned tonight.

Although, admittedly, Tom had very little intention of performing much foreplay tonight. He was in a somewhat possessive mood and much more interested in taking what was his. 

Once he had Emma out of her pristine, white bikini, he wasted little time in claiming both her lips and her womanhood. He thrust his tongue and his hips into her wildly. He could feel she was close to release, so he slowed down ever so slightly, pulling Emma’s hair back so she looked up at him as he made his declarations.

“This has been the most amazing week, love. Actually, the most amazing two months of my life,” he said.

“For me, too,” Emma replied, almost breathless. There was something different about the way he made love to her tonight. It was more intense, more focused. He refused to take his eyes from hers, and they similarly held her gaze.

Tom’s thrusts grew more forceful as he held his lips just centimeters away from Emma’s. His eyes were filled with deep passion and lust and…something Emma was sure she had never seen before. She didn’t have a chance to ponder just what that look might be, as Tom lifted her hips a bit higher and thrust faster than ever before. He was hitting all the right places, which momentarily pulled Emma’s gaze away.

“Oh fuck, Tom. That’s so fucking good, baby!”

He continued his pace while lowering his lips to her ear.

“God, Emma, do you know how much I love you?” He asked. He pulled back so he could search her face for a reaction.

Emma’s eyes shot back open and she stared deep into his penetrating gaze. “Tom? What are you doing?”

“I’m telling you how I feel,” Tom replied, his hips becoming even more fervent in their pace. Emma’s release was so close to release, she almost couldn’t comprehend just what was going on. 

In fact, she almost repeated Tom’s sentiment back to him, but managed to simply moan his name as she found her release. As they both began to come down from their climaxes, Emma finally fully realized what just occurred.

And, she realized that she had not really responded to Tom’s declaration. He’d noticed, as well. But, he was going to give her time to process his words. He’d certainly caught her off guard.

Tom placed a soft kiss on Emma’s temple as he rose from the bed. Emma pulled the covers up to her chin while she contemplated what to say next. She wanted to remind him of their agreement about no attachments, but it seemed such a weak argument at this point. She could not fully admit she had no feelings for him.

He strode quietly across the suite to his suitcase in the corner. Tom bent down to unzip the very front pocket, which contained a small, black jewelry box. He opened it to once again admire the ring he’d purchased before this trip – a simple one caret, princess-cut diamond. 

A smile spread across his face as he stood slowly, running the words he’d worked on in his head once more. Emma, he thought to himself, will you make me the happiest man in the world, and be my wife?

Tom tucked the hand holding the ring behind his back as he turned to Emma, who was still lying in bed, staring at the ceiling in thought.

While Tom had been across the room, Emma’s thoughts had been running a mile a minute. What am I going to do? Can we really make this work, knowing how it all started? I do love him, don’t I? I’ve never cared about anyone more than I do about him. He’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. My life got almost instantly better after I had met him. Why is this so difficult for me? Do I honestly believe he will hurt me like all the rest?

Her thoughts were snapped by his soft, lovely voice. “Emma, love, I need to ask you something?”

As Tom eased himself back into bed, Emma lowered the sheet from her chin to just above her breasts. Her heart beat sped up the idea of what could happen next, but nothing could have prepared her for the words that escaped his mouth.

“Emma, my love, my heart…will you make me the happiest man in the world, and be my wife?”

There it was, the question she’d often wondered if she’d ever hear, and from the one man in the world she’d probably ever consider saying yes to. But, could she actually answer Tom in the affirmative? 

Tom brought the little black box towards her and opened it to reveal the engagement ring. Dear god, Emma thought, it was even the perfect ring, too - so simple yet elegant. How could he have known she dreamed of that? 

“Tom,” she whispered once she found her voice again. “This is the most romantic thing any man has ever done for me. But, I’m not sure that I have an answer for you tonight. Can…can I sleep on it? I’m not saying no, I just need time to clear my head for a night.”

Tom had a hard time concealing his disappointment, but understood she might need some time to think. “Of course, love. I realize I sort of sprang this on you. Sleep on it. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

“Thank you,” she said as she leaned up and kissed him deeply. She rolled over, but knew she would have a hard time finding sleep that night.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened in Ibiza didn't stay in Ibiza...

For his part, Tom tossed and turned a bit, but eventually fell into deep sleep around 3 a.m. Emma watched him while he slept for a few moments before slipping out of bed to pace the room. The same thoughts plague her mind as before, until she saw the ring box sitting on the nightstand next to Tom. 

She padded silently over to pick the box up and gaze at the ring. Against her better judgement, she pulled with ring from the soft, velvet lining and placed it on her left ring finger. It fit perfectly. Of course it did. And, it looked exquisitely beautiful as it glimmered in the moonlight. 

It made her feel a strange twinge of contentment – but, also one of utter panic. Her heart seemed so irrevocably torn, and she knew there was only one thing she could do. She pulled the ring from her finger and placed it on the nightstand. She stood, found her phone on the nearby dresser, and walked out of the suite to make a call.

“Hello,” came Frank’s groggy voice. 

“I’m out,” Emma said. “I’m out of everything having to do with this arrangement, ok?”

“Emma?”

“Yes, it’s Emma. And, I’m out.”

“Wait a minute,” he said, finally becoming fully awake. “You’re out of what?”

“I’m out of this arrangement. And, once I’m home, I'm out of the whole damn business.”

“What happened? Last week, you were thrilled with everything. God, I thought you were almost falling for this guy.”

“That’s the problem, I am falling for him,” Emma said. “And, more importantly, he’s in love with me. He asked me to marry him.”

"Well, why don’t you marry him, since you’re out and all?”

"You know why I can’t, Frank. Will you just help me get out of here? I need a car and a plane back to London.”

“Fine,” Frank relented. “There will be a car there in under an hour, and I’ll have Owen fire up the jet.”

“Thank you,” Emma replied.

And, as Frank had promised, she was back on her way to London in less than an hour. It has to be this way, her inner voice said. This is for the best, for both of you.

The first thing Emma did when she got on the plane was make a beeline to the bathroom. She was sicker than she’d ever been on the boat, but simply chalked it up to her current emotional state. She took a seat and finally found brief sleep on the short plane ride. 

But the nausea didn't end there. Even days after she got home, the sickness would not let up. Emma was almost certain of what was causing her vomiting, but just couldn’t bring herself to find out for sure. It wasn’t until her landlady, Mary, stopped by one afternoon for tea while Emma was on a vomiting tear.

“Love, you really need to get yourself to the OBGYN,” she said. 

That caused Emma to momentarily stop throwing up, “What did you say?”

“You’re pregnant, ducky,” Mary said. “I should know, did have three children of my own so many decades ago.”

Emma rinsed her mouth out before returning to the living room where Mary gave her a knowing smile. “Awe, a bit unexpected, eh love?”

“Very unexpected,” Emma said. After Mary excused herself, Emma made a call to a women’s clinic for the next day. 

Sitting in the waiting area, Emma chewed nervously on her right thumbnail, while her left hand was gripping her right shoulder like a vise. If this was for real, what was she going to do?

“Miss Tidwell?” The nurse called out. 

Emma took a deep breath and held it as she hurried through the door into the examination room. She didn’t breath again until the nurse began to ask her questions about her sex life, then she had to concentrate so as not to let on that she was an escort.   
After urine test was administered. The doctor walked into the room with a chart in her hand. “Miss Tidwell? Hi, I’m Doctor Goodwin. So, I guess we have some news to discuss?”

“I suppose,” Emma said wearily. 

Dr. Goodwin sat against her desk nonchalantly. “You are most definitely pregnant, my dear.” 

“Yeah, I figured as much.”

“You do not seem thrilled by this news? Was this unplanned?”

“Is it really okay for you to ask me that question?” Emma asked her.

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want,” the doctor replied. “I’m just inquiring in case you were interested in any sort of alternative options. If you’re not, I’m very sorry for prying.”

“I’m not sure right now,” Emma said quietly. “I need time to think about this.”

“Well then, I’ll give you the standard early pregnancy protocol – No drinking, no smoking, get on prenatal vitamins, try to limit heavy lifting, and schedule your first OB/GYN exam in one month. By my calculations, you’re a little over a month along. So, enjoy the rest of your day, then.”

Emma walked home in a daze. What was the next move? Did she tell Tom? Did she tell anyone? Should she go crawling back to Ohio and move back in with her mother? Unfortunately for Emma, her instinct had become conditioned to call one person in times of need.

“Frank?” Emma asked after dialing her phone to that familiar number. “I have a problem.”


	19. Chapter 19

Once Tom woke up the night after he proposed to Emma, he felt a surge of excitement. Would she have decided to accept his proposal and finally give herself over to him completely? He turned over to see if she had woken yet, but she was not in bed. In fact, her side of the mattress was cold.

“Emma! Where are you, love?” He called out as he rose from the bed. After fixing his glasses back on his nose, he looked to the corner of the suite in shock – her bags were gone. His heart dropped to his feet as he rushed to that side of the room to make sure his eyes weren’t just playing cruel tricks on him. 

They weren’t, she was gone.

He stumbled back to the bed and collapsed into tears. He hadn’t cried like this since his dad left. How could she? Why would she give him such hope just to dash it away from him? Even if she didn’t love him, he had hoped she would have cared for him enough to at least say goodbye. 

Tom’s phone began to buzz, and he leapt at it in the vain hope that it was Emma, simply saying she was back at the hotel waiting for him. It was Ken.

“Tom! Have you seen how high our stock is rising, mate! We’re going to be fucking rich!!”

“Ken, she’s gone,” Tom said, still not able to hold back his tears. “She’s left me here, even after I told her I love her, and I asked her to marry me, and…”

“WHAT?! You fucking proposed to the girl who was hired to date you? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“IT WASN’T LIKE THAT, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! I KNOW SHE HAD FEELINGS FOR ME, TOO!”

“Oh, dear, sweet Jesus, Tom. You are a fucking idiot,” Ken replied. “She was an escort. She was paid to make you think she cared. It’s called “The Girlfriend Experience”.”

“Fuck you, Ken. I know she felt something for me. She just couldn’t admit it to herself.”

“Fine, whatever you say, mate,” Ken relied, suddenly feeling very reticent. “I’m sorry you’re sad. Do you need anything from me?”

“No,” Tom said, calming down. “I’ll be on my way home by this afternoon.”

Once his plane touched down in London, Tom was hit with two conflicting agendas – the first, to track down and Frank and demand to know where Emma was; the second, to go home and forget this all ever happened. Once he saw Ken standing at baggage claim waiting for him, he decided to go with the latter. 

After all, if she did love him, she knew where to find him.

It was a bit of a shock when he first got home after Ibiza. Emma had already got all of her things out of his flat. Well, save for one small detail. Tom wandered into the bathroom the first morning to find the lilac scented shampoo sitting on the shower caddy. 

He opened the lid and inhaled deeply. A surge of lust, love, remorse and, ultimately, anger coursed through him. He threw the bottle into the trash and vowed never to touch it again. However, he made a vague mental note about what the bottle looked like.

Tom managed to get himself back into his regular routine surprisingly well. He was back to working on the Form Project, and determined to make that his main priority.

After a couple of weeks, Tom did find himself at a party where he got drunk enough to call up Frank afterward. He paced his living room as he waited for Frank to answer.

“Password, please?” Frank answered.

“Frank, it’s Tom, you fucking prat!” Tom yelled into his phone.

Frank sighed. “Tom Williams? Is this about Emma?”

“Oh, so is that her real name?” Tom asked. “I mean she made everything else seem so real. Did she ever not lie to me?”

“Mate, she was an escort, and you were told not to get attached to her,” Frank said. 

“Oh, and what if she was attached to me, too,” Tom replied. 

“She’s a professional,” Frank said, somewhat unconvincingly. “She’s supposed to make you horny. It’s part of the job.”

“Ok, so, have you put her on another job?”

“That’s private information, mate,” Frank said. “Look, your best bet is to just forget about her.”

“I’m trying,” Tom said as he sat on the sofa. “I…I thought I loved her. I guess I was just fooling myself.”

Frank sighed and rubbed his tired eyes with his right hand. “For what it’s worth, she did care about you. She thinks she’s doing the right thing by staying away. And, honestly, I think you two do need time apart to think. If it was meant to be, I have a feeling you will meet again.”

“Yeah, sure,” Tom scoffed. “Thanks anyway, Frank.”


	20. Chapter 20

Emma had to hand it to Frank, he came through for her. She needed to start fresh, they decided, and he knew just the place for her to do it.

“You remember Rosie Prichard?”

“Oh yeah, I liked Rosie. Where is she?”

“Paris,” Frank replied. “And, she’s willing to give you a place to stay and get back on your feet.”

Before her second week away from Tom had come to an end, Emma was headed to Paris on the Chunnel. Rosie met her at the metro station, and pulled her into a hug. 

“Oh, it’s so good to see you, Em! I’ve been desperate to find a roommate, and I’m glad it’s someone I know!”

Emma got a job at a local coffee shop with Rosie. The two began as waitresses, but after she was seven months along, their boss, Nicolas, insisted Emma simply sit at the cash register and ring up bills. 

After another month went by, Emma had been put on bed-rest by her doctor, and it was simultaneously killing her, and making her rejoice immensely. The American in her instinctively wanted to work until she went into labor. But, the break was refreshing, and she was lucky she could take the time off and not lose her job afterward. 

She rubbed her tummy absentminded, trying to ward off those thoughts that usually flooded her head when she was alone – how was Tom? Where was Tom? Had he moved on? Did he know about the baby?

Stop it, Emma, her inner voice screamed. You’ve been doing much better recently. Push those thoughts aside.

Emma was regaining her trust in her inner voice. She took three deep breaths, and then took a sip from her tea cup on the nightstand.

Suddenly, Emma’s phone began to buzz like an angry bee. She moaned in frustration, as only four people had this number – Emma’s mom, Rosie, Emma’s boss Nicolas, and Jean-Louis, the bar keep at Le Coeur de Moi. And, unfortunately, it was the latter on the phone for her.

“What did Rosie do now, Jean-Louis?” She asked as she tried to remain calm. Rosie knew better than to stress her out in her current state.

“I am sorry, Emma, but you must remove Rosie from the pub right away,” Jean-Louis said, his accent thicker than usual. “She is too inebriated.”

“Jean-Louis, you know I’m eight months pregnant, right? I am in no condition to carry Rosie’s drunk ass home!” Emma exclaimed.

“I know this, Cherie,” he replied, “But, who else should I call, eh? Who else would care for her?”

He kind of had her there. Rosie was currently without a boyfriend to speak of, and she wasn’t one for making good friends, other than Emma. “Okay, but this has to be the last time. And, someone is going to have to give me a hand.”

In twenty minutes, Emma was dressed, out the door, and in a cab to pick up her drunken best friend from Rosie’s favorite pub. Sometimes, Emma wondered why Jean-Louis even let them return after how often Rosie got drunk and pissed him off.

She didn’t have much time to ponder, as the cab approached the curb in front of the pub, and Rosie pulled the door open with such force, she tossed herself backward onto the sidewalk.

“You stupid bitch,” Emma half laughed, half wailed in frustration. “Get your drunken ass up; we need to get you home.”

Rosie was engulfed in a laughing fit on the ground. Jean-Louis stared at the inebriated girl in front of him for a moment before helping her to her feet. With greet effort, Emma pushed herself out of the cab and leaned into the driver’s window. “Sorry. I promise this won’t take long.”

“Take as long as you want, sweetheart,” the cabbie said. “Clock runs no matter what.”

Emma rolled her eyes and turned to Rosie, who was back on her feet and hanging off of Jean-Louis. “My apologies again, Emma. She was just too far gone.”

“I understand, Jean-Louis,” Emma replied. “Just as long as you know you owe me.”

Jean-Louis nodded as he transferred Rosie’s weight from his shoulder’s to Emma’s. With great effort, Emma got Rosie into the cab. Although, she did stumble back a little as her drunken friend sprawled out onto the back seat of the cab. That’s when she heard that voice for the first time in over six months.

“So, Emma really is your name, isn’t it?”


	21. Chapter 21

Tom had become something of a media sensation. Cover of magazines, appearances on talk shows and a model “girlfriend” on his arm. The term girlfriend was used very lightly, as Kylie was this in name only. 

He’d become everything Ken wanted him to be – a soulless figurehead for a multimillion dollar company. He even got Lasik surgery.

Tom and Kylie were in Paris at a €5,000 a plate charity dinner at some fancy hotel, but Tom just had to get away from all the attention and inane questions – much to Kylie’s chagrin. There was a dive bar in Montmartre that he’d heard about where the young, artistic crowd hung out, Le Coeur de Moi. 

It was just what he needed. It was a bit seedy, unkempt and full of colorful characters – such as the very drunk British chick that made Tom at once proud and ashamed to be British.

Kylie’s nagging eventually got to Tom, and he agreed to retreat to the hotel for the night. Although, he didn’t relish sleeping on a couch for another night, but it was all a part of keeping up appearances.

Admittedly, he’d slept with Kylie once, just to see if she could help him forget about Emma. It was a horrible experience.

Just as the limo was swinging by to pick Tom and Kylie up, he heard the drunken British girl out on the curb, arguing with the bar keep. “I can’t believe you fucking called Emma to come pick me up, you asshole! She’s eight months pregnant, she can’t get me home, idiot!”

“Who else am I to call, eh?”

“Oh great, she’s here! I’m never going to hear the end of this!” 

The drunken girl pulled open the back door of a cab, and subsequently fell flat on her ass in a fit of giggles. It was disgraceful. An American voice came from the cab. “You stupid bitch; get your drunken ass up, we need to get you home!”

He’d have known that voice whether six months or six years had gone by. It was his Emma.

“Tom, I’m ready to go now,” Kylie whined as she waited for him to open up the door for her. 

He yanked the door open and guided her into the back brusquely. “Give me a moment.”

Before Kylie could argue, Tom was already set straight for what he’d been searching for more than half a year. He stopped in his tracks once he got a full glimpse of her – she was heavily pregnant.

He stared in disbelief for a few seconds. Was this why she left? Was the child his? He shook his head to relieve himself of those thoughts and found his voice again.

“So, Emma really is your name,” was all he could think to say at first. 

She stood with her back to him for what felt like almost a full minute. This had to be a dream. She wasn’t really standing in front of him on the street in Paris. No, she was back at the flat curled up for a nap on the couch. She was almost certain if she turned, he wouldn’t even really be there.

She was almost right. The man who stood before her didn’t really resemble the Tom she knew. He’d changed his hair, gained weight, dressed better, lost his glasses and …well, there was just something about him that was so different, so changed from the man she knew before.

“Tom,” she whispered, “what have they done to you?”

“What have they done to me?” He spat back incredulously. “What did you do to me?”

“You don’t understand,” Emma said. “You never did understand, Tom. We could not be together. It was never an option, no matter what we truly felt for each other.”

“Oh, just shut the fuck up!” He exclaimed in exasperation. “Just admit you got scared of your feelings and you ran. You left me on a boat in Ibiza after I poured my heart out to you and even fucking proposed to you."

The tears began to roll down Emma’s cheeks in heavy drops. “You’re right. I got scared. And then when I found out…” she put a tentative hand to her belly… “I just didn’t know what to do. I panicked, and I decided it was best for me to get away and start fresh.”

Tom’s eyes finally lingered on her belly. He couldn’t help by let the most obvious thought slip passed his lips, “That’s my child.”

“Of course,” Emma said. “Who else would it belong to?”

“Someone you haven’t lied to and abandoned?” He spat back harshly. 

“I never lied to you. I kept some secrets, but everything I told you about myself was genuine.”

“You mean your ‘alias’?” He asked. “The real/fake/real you? What, am I supposed to feel special because you decided to find the most convoluted way to tell me who you really were?”

Emma’s tears began to turn from sadness and regret to that of hurt and anger. “Believe what you want. I know why I did what I did, and what I feel for you. If you want to be part of my life again, the door is open to you. If not, why not just get back into that limo with your girlfriend?”

Tom turned to see Kylie leaning against the limo, texting with the dullest expression on her face. It was then that he realized she kind of always looked like that. He sighed and turned back to Emma.

“I can’t just forgive you overnight,” he said. “But, I appreciate that the door is open.”

Emma nodded solemnly. She began to lower herself back into the cab, when she felt strong hands grasp her waist to help her descend more gently. 

“Scoot over, love,” Tom said as he helped himself into the cab. “You can’t get that drunken bint back into your flat by yourself.”

“Fuck off! Who you calling a bint, you twat?” Rosie replied as she lifted her head from the cab’s headrest. 

“Great, a mouthy British girl,” Tom mumbled into Emma’s ear. “How’d you get stuck with this bird?”

“She’s my roommate,” Emma replied. “She’s an old friend. And, she’s not usually like this, only when she’s been drinking.”

Emma put a protective arm around Rosie’s shoulders so Rosie could rest her head on Emma’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Em. I know I can be a bit of a pain in your arse. Thanks for putting up with me.”

“Anytime,” Emma said. 

In that moment, every good memory came flooding back to Tom. The way Emma was there for him in difficult times. Their relationship hadn’t lasted very long, but it came at a time when he truly needed a partner to support him. He remembered why he fell in love with her in the first place. 

They rode the rest of the way home in silence. Once they had arrived at Rosie and Emma’s flat, Tom was immediately indignant at the state of the place. The inside was even worse – there was all manner of dirty, sleazy looking people lurking in the corridors. The floors and walls were so filthy, Tom was afraid he was going to need to get a tetanus shot just looking at them. 

And the flat itself was too cramped and next to what appeared to be a drug dealer. Once they got Rosie into bed with a dustbin next to her, Tom began to rail against Emma’s living conditions.

“No, this will not do. You cannot live here, and my child can definitely not live here,” he demanded as he began searching the room for something.

“Well, it’s a little late for that, Tom. I do live here,” Emma replied. “And, what the hell are you looking for?”

“Your luggage – we’re going back to London as soon as possible.”

“Oh, no we’re not,” Emma said. “Look, Mr. ‘I can’t just forgive you overnight’, you can’t just come in here and tell me how to live my life.”

“If it is to the detriment of my child’s life, yes I can. I at least have some say in what conditions he or she lives.”

“She,” Emma said quietly. 

Tom’s expression quickly shifted from agitated to deliriously happy. “We’re having a little girl?”

Emma nodded and put a gentle hand on her belly. “I was hoping to name her Georgia, after my grandmother.”

“That sounds like a lovely name,” Tom said as he slowly approached Emma and placed his hands on either side of her protruding belly. “Can her middle name be Iris, after my gran?”

“Of course,” Emma said. 

Tom knelt down to get eye-level with the baby belly. “I can’t wait to meet you, Georgia Iris…”

He looked up at Emma earnestly, “What will her last name be?”

“I hadn’t really thought about it,” Emma admitted. “Well, if I was going to raise her on my own, of course her last name would be Tidwell. But, I guess it’s going to have to be Williams, isn’t it?”

“It doesn’t have to be. How about we hyphenate it – Tidwell-Williams.” 

Emma’s face contorted into an expression of mild disgust at the name. “Let’s not make any decisions tonight.”

“All right, then,” Tom replied. “Well, let’s get out of here, shall we?”

“Tom,” Emma began, exasperated. “I’m not leaving in the middle of the night. I’m tired, and I just need to get to bed.”

“No. You’re not staying here, I won’t allow it. I’ve got a hotel room; we’re going to go stay there tonight.”

“What about your little girlfriend?” Emma asked, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance.

“Oh, yeah…I’ll take care of that, don’t worry,” he replied sheepishly.

Emma could tell arguing further would be futile, so she allowed him to lead her out the door. Once their cab pulled up to Tom’s hotel, Emma’s eyes seemed to grow twice in size. This was probably the nicest hotel she’d ever seen, and that was saying something.

Tom raced to Emma’s door, opening it and helping her out of the cab gently. He paid the cabbie and turned towards the doors, all the while keeping Emma close to his side. Once the lift rang out for the penthouse suite, Emma’s eyes became impossibly large. It was nicer than any suite or flat she’d ever stayed in. 

However, there was one little detail that still needed to be dealt with. 

“Where the fuck have you been? How could you just leave me standing alone outside that disgusting pub like that?”

Kylie walked into the living room wearing a bathrobe, her hair slightly damp. She stopped in her tracks at the site of Tom helping a very pregnant woman sit on the sofa.

“Who the fuck is that?” Kylie demanded.

“I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you,” Tom replied. “Just pack your things and leave.”

“Excuse me? I don’t think so, asshole. I’m fucking Kylie, and you don’t dump me!” 

“Seems like I just did,” Tom said. “So, get the fuck out.”

“Are you serious? You’re dumping one of the most famous and hottest models in the world for a fucking pregnant bitch? Are you mental, or something?”

“First of all, I’m not sure if you’re really all that famous, or that hot,” Tom said as he strode into the bedroom to help Kylie pack. “Secondly, she’s not a bitch. She happens to be my girlfriend, and she’s pregnant with my child.”

Tom began opening dresser drawers and throwing Kylie’s clothes into suitcases. Frankly, at this point Tom wasn’t really concerned if the luggage was hers or his, he just wanted Kylie out of his life.

“I’m your girlfriend! Or, have you not seen the cover of OK Magazine?”

He ignored her and continued on to the bathroom throwing more items into the suitcases. “Come on now, Kylie, don’t doddle. Get your things and get a move on.”

“Where the fuck am I supposed to go?” She cried out hysterically. 

“I’ll call the concierge and have you put in another room, all right? Well, then,” Tom said as he handed Kylie two suitcases, “Nice knowing you and all but, with all due respect, fuck off.”

“What if I refuse? After all,” Kylie said as she stepped into the living room, glancing at Emma, “Everyone knows I’m your girlfriend. How do you think all the papers will react when genius, entrepreneur and, supposed nice guy, Tom Williams dumps his girlfriend for some woman he has a secret love child with.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” Tom replied nonchalantly, sitting next to Emma and placing a hand on her belly. “I’ve got a family now, that’s all I care about.” 

Kylie began to sob unconvincingly. It’s a good thing she’s a model and not an actress, Tom thought.

“But, Tom, I love you,” she sobbed, her crocodile tears failing to inspire pity in him. “I’ve been so good to you.”

“You’ve been a fraud,” Tom said. “This was a sham relationship, and you know it.”

She stamped her foot against the tiled floor and screamed, “Fine! Have your little pregnant cunt! I’m going to ruin you, just wait!”

With that, Kylie stormed out of the suite, slamming the door behind her.

“God, I thought she’d never leave,” Tom sighed, leaning over Emma to capture her lips in a kiss. Emma wasn’t quite as responsive as he’d hoped she’d be. “What’s wrong, love?”

She gave Tom a hard look. “How long were you two dating?”

“Oh come on, Emma, are you seriously jealous? It wasn’t a real relationship,” Tom said. “I was set up with her through Ken and her publicist. She was just some arm candy for events.”

Emma didn’t seem completely convinced by this. “So, you two were never…intimate?”

Tom settled back into the couch and sighed, “Do you really want to know?”

She nodded.

“Yes – once. And, it was awful and awkward. She just laid there like a dead fish, and neither one of us finished. Satisfied?”

Emma frowned. She had secretly hoped she’d ruined him for other women. She knew it was silly, but she didn’t like the idea of Tom being with another woman. 

“Awe, is Emma unhappy?” Tom teased. He tilted his head and moved in to attack her neck with kisses and gentle nibbles. She giggled uncontrollably.

“Tom, stop, I mean it! If you make me laugh too hard, I just might pee.”

Tom pulled away slightly and chuckled. “Oh, really?”

“Yes,” Emma said. “Just one of the wonderful side effects of being pregnant – little bladder control.”

Emma let out a yawn, and Tom was reminded of how late it was. He stood and helped Emma to her feet, guiding her into the bedroom. After helping her undress, Tom pulled Emma close and reveled in the feeling of having her so near to him again. The feeling of her pregnant belly pressed to him sent contented shivers up and down his spine.

“I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered as one tear fell down her cheek.

“Hey,” Tom said, pulling her away slightly to look into her eyes. “Let’s not dwell on that, okay? I missed you, too, and yes we spent some awful months away from each other, but we’re here right now. That’s all that matters.”


	22. Chapter 22

I have been struck with writer's block, and am unsure how to proceed with this story. If any of my few readers have any suggestions, I am more than open to them.

**Author's Note:**

> I have most of this story already written, but will be posting it in bits so I can get better feedback.


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